‘Soviet Union’ style homes get go-ahead
A DEVELOPER has been given permission to change the house types of a 133-home scheme in Poynton despite claims the apartment block resembles a building from the former Soviet Union.
Persimmon Homes was originally given planning permission for the housing estate by Cheshire East Council in late 2020.
But another application went before the council’s strategic planning board on Wednesday, April 6, because the site is now being developed by Elan Homes, who want to build a different house type.
The original scheme was for 16 five-bedroom homes, 25 four-bed, 37 three-bed, 27 two-bed and 28 one-bedroom properties. The proposed scheme is for 11 fivebedroom homes, 30 four-bed, 39 three-bed, 25 two-bed and 28 onebedroom properties.
Ward councillor Mike Sewart, speaking as a visitor councillor, said Poynton residents were concerned about the stub road and had fears it could lead to further development.
He said: “What to many others may be an insignificant piece of road that has reappeared pointing northwards, might in 10 or 20 years be regarded as an acceptance of the principle of further development to the north.”
“Please do whatever you can by condition, negotiation with the developer, or whatever, to remove that spur.”
Elan Homes will have to put in a landscaping scheme at the end of a stub road as reassurance it can’t be used as an access for further development.
Poynton town councillor Laurence Clarke agreed with Cllr Sewart said his organisation was also opposed to the application for several reasons.
These included the access on Hazelbadge Road which, he said, poses risks to pupils at Lower Park School and other pedestrians, concerns flood measures were not adequate and that the Chester Road junction is dangerous. Coun Clarke also said: “I think the designs of the new houses are uninspiring and looked like almost every other speculative development across Cheshire East
“However, the apartment blocks - we think they have a heavy institutional look.
“I think they’re reminiscent of some of the buildings in the former Soviet Union.”
Sean McCarthy, representing Elan Homes, said the stub road ‘is purely a turning head which is capable for use for school buses and refuse vehicles’ and there would be no objection to landscaping.
The application was approved with eight councillors voting in favour, one against and one abstained.