Developers came under fire from residents at a Nantwich Town Council meeting when they outlined their plans for a major housing scheme.
Bosses from Muller and Jones faced a packed meeting with many residents voicing their anger and objection to the “Nantwich South” plan for hundreds of homes on Stapeley farmland.
Colin Muller, managing director of Muller Properties, and Joe Savage, regional director of Jones Homes, wanted to highlight the potential of the site between Peter de Stapleigh Way, London Road, and Audlem Road/Broad Lane.
But residents criticised the lack of research and the consultation process, as well as overall objections to the plans over increased traffic, lack of school places and loss of farmland.
The companies say they have distributed 8,000 leaflets, and sent 1,000 letters and emails to traders and businesses calling for initial reaction to the plan.
Mr Muller said: “There will be objections and resistance, and many will take the view ‘why more housing?”
Mr Savage added: “It’s at a very very early stage, there are no hard and fast proposals, we are waiting to get feedback.”
Cllr Stuart Hutton asked the developers to consider a full list of potential brownfield sites first, while local Stapeley campaigner Pat Cullen accused the survey questions of being “engineered.”
“The questions were engineered to get answers you want and that is not fair to the people of Nantwich,” said Mr Cullen, which brought agreement from other members of the public.
Stapeley Parish Cllr Jo Hillman and others queried the development team’s research over provision of school places, while South Cheshire Friends of the Earth spokeswoman Janet Perry raised fears over the loss of farmland.
Mr Muller hinted that, as part of the new development, a ‘village centre’ could include a new school as well as shops and businesses if it was needed.
Other residents labelled criticised the process, calling it a “shambles”, “not thorough enough”, and “badly organised”.
And some said the initial traffic surveys on how residents would access the new site were flawed.
Developers said natural entrance points would be along Peter de Stapleigh Way opposite Pear Tree Field (pictured) and Hawksey Drive, with possible entrances from London Road and Audlem Road.
Representatives from Muller and Jones can be quizzed further on the proposals at two public exhibitions this week, at Nantwich Methodist Church on Hospital Street on Friday February 10, and in Pear Tree Primary School in Stapeley on Saturday February 11.
(PIC: Proposed entry to new ‘Nantwich South’ village development, opposite Pear Tree Field)
I find it absolutely astounding that the consultation BEGINS with a discussion about the detail of the proposed site … asking residents if there are enough shops in the plan; should there be business units; where the access points are going to be. Surely the consultation should begin with WHERE in Nantwich should the houses be built? And from that point an agreement may be reached which satisfies the majority of local residents.
Helen, I agree wholeheartedly with your comments above. Isn’t it interesting that only businesses, not residents, have been sent information persuading them of the benefits of this plan. That’s not consultation, that’s selective marketing.
My children attend Stapeley Broad Lane School and we have been campaigning for a car park at the school for more than a decade. Anyone who has ever driven on that road at school start/finish time will surely know (a) how congested it is and (b) how narrow it is with cars being parked along one side. How can there even be the slightest possibility of exacerbating this already deadly situation by adding more traffic to the road via one of the access points to the new site?
I have set up a facebook page where residents can have their say on this issue. Please visit https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nantwich-South-Development-Plans/298916953497955 and have your say now.
Agree wholeheartedly that the questions on the website for consultation are engineered and mine wouldnt process anyway. Peter De Stapleigh Way can not take any more early morning traffic and there is not enough parking in town for Natnwich residents as it is! im all for development and lots more residents would be great for local businesses but the reality is there is currently not the infrastructure to support these homes. This development seems to have been a “done deal” for a long while anyway – why else has the entrance road to the “proposed estate” been developed for about 8 years!!! Shame on Cheshire East Council! in answer to the consultation – my business in Nantwich did receive a letter and booklet from the developers saying how good the homes would be for increasing business locally. Strange how i got no information to my home which is only a few hundred yards from the proposed site. Very selective “consultation”.