Plans to create a new garden village on the eastern edge of Handforth have been given government backing today (Monday, 2nd January).
The North Cheshire Garden Village is one of 14 new garden villages (smaller settlements of between 1,500 and 10,000 homes) – from Devon to Derbyshire, Cornwall to Cumbria – which will have access to a £6 million fund over the next two financial years to support the delivery of these new projects.
The government says the money will be used to unlock the full capacity of sites, providing funding for additional resources and expertise to accelerate development and avoid delays.
The controversial scheme for 1650 new homes includes schools, health facilities, nurseries, community centres, play areas and sports facilities along with space for new businesses, including shops and cafes. The Cheshire East Local Plan also includes 14ha of land south of the Growth Village which is proposed for safeguarding – for development after 2030.
Cheshire East Council's Development Company, Engine of the North is promoting the new residential and community development which will be located near to Handforth Dean, between the A555 and the A34, and commissioned Hemingway Design to produce a 'vision' document for the village.
Councillor Jamie Macrae, Chairman of Engine of the North said: "The North Cheshire Garden Village could be an exemplar development for the area and back in March we began to discuss with the community the design quality of the proposals. We are really keen to engage as many local people as possible in the debate and really want to know what your views are in shaping the proposal."
Councillor Macrae added: "Our ambition is to create a new innovative approach to residential development creating sustainable communities within a quality environment. We also wish to ensure that any development complements the existing surrounding communities."
However, many locals have raised concerns that the creation of a new village at this site will put a big strain on local infrastructure and increase congestion on the A34 bypass.
Housing and Planning Minister Gavin Barwell said "Locally-led garden towns and villages have enormous potential to deliver the homes that communities need.
"New communities not only deliver homes, they also bring new jobs and facilities and a big boost to local economies. These places combined could provide almost 200,000 homes."
In addition to funding, the government says it will provide support in terms of expertise, brokerage and offer of new planning freedoms.
The new garden projects will also have access to infrastructure funding programmes across government, such as the new £2.3 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund announced at this year's Autumn Statement.
Comments
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Not sure how this all works re Local Plan, - which is supposed to go to "consultation" again.
The Guardian says, "North Cheshire garden village, which will sit on the eastern edge of Handforth, has development plans that include 2,000 homes, a nursery and a care home, as well as architect-designed “one-off” homes".
Thought the Care Home was on the other side next to M@S - the bit with the protected newts and the aquifers.
First I have heard of "architect -designed one- off homes" - unless, there is a developer waiting in the wings.
No mention made of the 2 form entry primary school only and no secondary school provision.
Rick, I wonder where you live? And whether your house was once on land such as the proposed site for this development
While this scale of development in any location is going to impact on the road network, it appears (to me) to be in a fairly unloved field, won't upset many living close by. If we must have developments like this, perhaps alongside a bypass location like this is a fair compromise?
I read above the world is expanding and wonder what this means? It rather seems to be the case the world economy is expanding and our leaders want a chunk of this. If London is the model for us all then no thank you very much.
There will just be a few quaint, half-timbered cottages, a friendly Inn by a village green where locals will while away their time with a few overs of cricket whilst ducks quack noisily on a nearby lily pond.
What could possibly go wrong?
Some interesting comments on alderleyedge.com on this one. Perhaps an extension of the GMT Metro to Alderley Park calling at all of the proposed developments is called for. Suggest a first class carriage for the Alderley Park link.
Cheshire East Council own the majority of this Green Belt site - the previous leader of the Council publicly stated to Handforth's ward councillors that he was going to "cash in" on the sale of this land and use it to assist funding for the Congleton bypass.
Cheshire East Council decided which sites they would put forward for release from the Green Belt prior to undertaking any Green Belt assessment and therefore without having any knowledge or understanding of the graded "value" of each site considered in these assessments.
In excess of 98% of Handforth residents who responded to a survey conducted by a local residents group,(1,000 of Handforth's population of 6,500 responded) opposed development on Handforth's Green Belt land in favour of using its two brownfield sites.
The Airport Relief Road has only been designed to relieve current congestion on local roads - it has not been designed to cope with the proposed additional 18,000 (no, not a typing error) houses by both Cheshire East Council and Stockport Metropolitan Borough along this new corridor.
Traffic surveys have shown that on the opening of this road later this year junctions along the A34 corridor between Handforth and Wilmslow will operate over capacity prior to any new developments, including this one. This will impact on commuters in a much wider area than just Handforth - traffic on Manchester Road in Wilmslow for example is predicted to increase by 78% by 2030.
Wilmslow High School was oversubscribed in September 2016, as it has been for a number of years. 38% of those who requested this as their first choice of high school and who live within the catchment area did not get a place. There are no proposals for a new High School and discussions about increasing the capacity of Wilmslow High School have only just started, and, may have a detrimental impact on the Sports Academy Status of the school according to Sports England.
In the 1970's Greater Manchester were prevented by only one vote from changing local authority boundaries so that Handforth, Wilmslow and Poynton lay within the Greater Manchester authority. The removal of this site from the Green Belt weakens the arguement against this should or perhaps when GMA attempt this again.
After a comprehensive survey in 2015 part of this site has been designated a Local Wildlife Site by Cheshire Wildlife Trust due to its biodiverse habitat and the protected species within it. The rest of the site has a high agricultural use.
Local residents in Cheshire East and the surrounding areas use the proposed site for a variety of reasons. Smithy Model Aircraft Club, with over 100 members, have used a small area that they maintain for over a decade. Total Fitness instructors take classes there in the summer. It is used for team building exercises. It is used by dog walkers, ramblers, bird watchers, fishermen, runners and cyclists.
This site is a green lung in an ever expanding conurbation and could have been promoted and used for the benefit of the health and well being of residents.
Instead it will be used for housing whilst the brownfield sites in the northern towns of Cheshire East Council lie dormant.
It's the biggest killer in England and Wales.
A34 springs to mind, but how many more years before our council and government care about us? MPs and Cllrs at CEC take note please. What an opportunity for lawyers!
There has been significant evidence to suggest that living in close proximity to an airport increases cancer risk, as does living close to electricity pylons, that using mobile phones causes damage to internal organs, that breathing diesel fumes significantly increases respiratory illness .
When it comes to turning a quick profit, big businesses and the politicians they collude with have very little in the way of conscience.
Do we really believe the Inspector knew nothing of the garden villages scheme and it had no influence on his approving the Handforth East development?