Council ‘had no choice’ in backing homes bid
CHESHIRE East has given the go-ahead for a controversial 40-home scheme at Lyme Green with one councillor saying members didn’t have a choice because of a planning inspector’s previous ruling.
In October 2022 the council’s strategic planning board had turned down an application in for a ‘cramped’ 42-home scheme on land west of London Road and south of Gaw End Lane on the grounds of over-development.
Morris Homes and the trustees of the Lyme Green Settlement appealed and a planning inspector overturned the council’s refusal.
Since then the same applicants have submitted a scheme for 40 homes on the site, together with on-site public open space.
It was this latest scheme which was approved by councillors at a strategic planning board meeting last Wednesday.
Speaking after the meeting, Macclesfield councillor Mary Brooks said: “We voted in favour because, basically, we didn’t have a choice.
“If we hadn’t approved that they could have gone forward with the previous one that was ruled on by the planning inspectorate because they won the appeal.”
The approved scheme is for four one-bed homes, six two-bed, 17 three-bed and 13 fourbedroom houses. Thirty per cent are affordable.
Coun Stewart Gardiner, who proposed the scheme be accepted, said after the meeting: “I still think that it is over-development of the site but the
trouble is an inspector has said, no it’s not overdevelopment of the site.
“The inspector’s voice actually trumps those of a
councillor, so we have to accept that and the only thing we can possibly do is recognise there are benefits to the scheme
and vote for it.”
“The benefits of the scheme are two-fold.
“Firstly, it has on-site open space and play provision
that wasn’t in the scheme approved at appeal. Secondly, although there is one less total number of affordable
units, a significant proportion of them are three-bed family homes.
“Seven out of the 12 are three-bed.”