OUTLINE plans for a new 650-home South Cheshire Growth Village on a greenfield site close to the historic Crewe Hall will be considered by Cheshire East’s strategic planning board tomorrow (Tuesday).

The outline application, submitted by Bloor Homes, has been recommended for approval subject to conditions.

The site is allocated for development in Cheshire East’s local plan and the overall proposals include:

  • Up to 650 new homes including 30 per cent affordable housing within an ‘estate’ village;
  • Restoration of the historic parkland landscape and heritage mitigation planting;
  • Mixed-use village centre providing a market square, community facilities and local retail;
  • Walking and cycling routes, including connection to a new footway and cycle link serving the Basford East Strategic site;
  • Open amenity green space, children’s play, allotments, community orchards and wildlife areas;
  • New habitat creation to deliver biodiversity net gain.

But tomorrow councillors will only be considering the outline application, mainly looking at the four specified accesses serving the housing parcels on the site.

These are one on to Main Road, one on to the B5472 and two on to Old Park Road.

All other matters regarding detailed design, such as appearance, layout, scale and landscaping are reserved for consideration at a later date.

A report from the council’s planning officer to tomorrow’s meeting states: “This outline application proposes the creation of the South Cheshire Growth Village to deliver a sustainable settlement of up to 650 dwellings incorporating a mixed-use village centre located on a greenfield site close to the south-eastern edge of Crewe and adjacent to Crewe Hall and its registered historic park and garden (grade 2).

“It is proposed that a distinctive and high-quality housing scheme in the form of an ‘estate’ village is sited within an attractive parkland setting in line with the requirements of local plan allocation policy.”

The report says while the scheme would lead to some harm to heritage assets, ‘proposed mitigation and design coding already provided demonstrates that the framework for the development accords with the heritage impact assessment… to offset that harm’.

And it states: “The impact on the wider highway network from the proposed development will be mitigated through financial contributions for improvements to Meremoor Moss roundabout (or within the A500 corridor) and alterations to the University Way/Weston Road roundabout.”

The Gardens Trust has objected to the application which it says ‘will undoubtedly cause harm to the Crewe Hall Registered Park and Garden (RPG)’.

It adds: “The Gardens Trust are ‘saddened and disappointed that Cheshire East has failed to sufficiently value and protect the heritage value of Crewe Hall’s RPG.

“It will forever harm the setting and significance of the RPG.”

Weston and Crewe Green Parish Council says it accepts the principle of this scheme, which forms a strategic development proposal in the approved Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy.

But it raises several issues and concerns relating mainly to highways.

The parish council also stressed the need for local health centre and funding and said a community liaison group should be established.

The outline application has been recommended for approval, subject to numerous conditions.

The strategic planning board meeting takes place at 10am tomorrow (Tuesday, September 10) at Crewe Municipal Buildings.