House is to be demolished in £6m flats plan
A£6 MILLION flat development will go ahead in Prestbury after strong objections from the parish council were overruled.
Brenda Crothers has been given planning permission from Cheshire East Council to demolish a large house on Macclesfield Road and build a block of six new homes.
The proposals had drawn objections from Prestbury Parish Council, who said the increased density of properties at the site was against the borough council’s own housing policy.
But a northern planning committee ruled this was not the case as the policy referred to the number of buildings on a site - not the amount of people who would live there.
Speaking at the meeting parish councillor Daniel Franks said: “The main concern is that this development, even by the developers own admission does not adhere to Cheshire East’s low density regulations.
“Replacement of a single large house with a building of six apartments is not low density.
“We feel our local voice has not been heard.
“We have to protect our green spaces and this development will erode our green spaces. It is an over-development.”
The application had been heard by the committee in December but had been deferred over concerns of affordable housing.
While it was agreed that the site itself was not suitable to contain affordable housing a ‘commuted sum’ payment was required to be spent on this elsewhere.
The figure offered had been £106,000 but had since been recalculated to £171,000.
Councillor Sally Holland told the meeting this figure was ‘a little bit lean’ given the prices of homes in the development.
Coun Tony Dean added: “The amount doesn’t seem an awful lot but having seen the basis of the calculation it seems like a reasonable approach.”
Both council planning officer Robert Law and Neil Tatlow, on behalf of the developer, said the agreed amount was an appropriate figure.
The new building will be slightly higher and larger in footprint than the existing one but was said to be ‘ not significantly different with ample screening’.
Mr Law told the meeting that the apartments would not alter the ‘character and feel’ of the area so did not contravene density policy.
Coun Brian Puddicombe said: “This is a single building, it doesn’t spread across a site with six apartments.
“It will add to the supply and choice of housing in Prestbury.”
The application was approved by nine votes to one.