Residents left in limbo again over Cheshire East planning blunder

Coppenhall Place, which is on the site of the former Crewe Works off West Street, was granted planning permission in 2018 – but that permission was lost last year because developer Countryside Partnerships failed to deal with a condition relating to contaminated land.

It’s now six months since the council’s strategic planning board deferred the application from Countryside to regularise the development.

Last month the council told the local democracy reporting service (LDRS): “It is currently expected that the application will be presented back to the strategic planning board in September.”

But the agenda for that meeting has now been published and Coppenhall Place isn’t on it meaning the matter won’t be dealt with next week – even though the council’s own planning portal even today still has that as the committee date.

Cllr Anthony Critchley (Image: Cheshire East Council)Ward councillor Anthony Critchley (Lab) is furious and told the LDRS: “This situation is unacceptable. I have written to the chief executive of the council and implored her to immediately investigate the local planning authority’s (LPA) handling of the whole situation from the outset and do whatever is necessary to bring the application to a strategic planning board meeting as soon as the details are finalised, and it is legally possible.”

In his letter to the chief exec, Cllr Critchley says: “The LPA’s conduct throughout the course of this project has been nothing short of abysmal. Residents, who are not spectators but active stakeholders, have consistently been met with a wall of silence, as if their concerns and queries are of no consequence…

“The blatant disregard for their legitimate inquiries, complaints, and the lack of forthrightness in communicating critical details is a slap in the face of transparency and an affront to our principles of good governance.”

He added that ‘by raising residents’ expectations in the way that they have, the LPA has been completely unacceptable and will do no favours for the council’s already diminished reputation with residents’.

Cllr Connor Naismith (Image: Cheshire East Council)Crewe West councillor Connor Naismith, who is the Labour parliamentary candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, told the LDRS: “It is really disappointing that residents have had their expectations raised in this way. I have spoken to several residents on the estate and they were really clear about what they wanted from the council - which was proper, clear communication and I think it’s obvious that the way that this has been communicated by the council in terms of bringing the matter to a conclusion has raised expectations and unfortunately residents feel like they‘ve been let down once again.

“I think the impact that this whole saga has had on the residents on that estate can’t be over-stated, so I would just urge the council to reflect on this and bring the matter forward at the very earliest opportunity so residents can move on with their lives, and actually to learn lessons as to how this was allowed to happen in the first place from an enforcement perspective, so that more families aren’t put through a similar ordeal in the future when developments come forward.”