Councillors have blasted Cheshire East Council after a Government Planning Inspector ruled the authority has failed to demonstrate it has s 5-year housing supply.
The Inspector’s findings are in a report upholding an appeal by a housing developer to build 94 houses on land near Sandbach.
Now councillors fear the decision to allow the appeal and grant permission will set a precedent for other developers pursuing appeals on applications in Stapeley, Nantwich, Willaston, Wistaston, Shavington and other areas.
Cllr Arthur Moran, Nantwich North and West, said: “This was seen as a great defence against these appeals.
“But with this decision, it looks as though the Conservative Government has its own agenda and they want housing built and they are inclined to pass these appeals.
“The one everyone is waiting for is the Muller Homes appeal in Stapeley. But there is real concern now that the big housing supply defence doesn’t look like it is going to be a defence.”
Willaston and Rope Cllr Brian Silvester labelled it a “planning fiasco” and called on Council Leader Cllr Michael Jones and his deputy to resign.
Cllr Silvester said: “Time after time, Cllr Jones and Cllr Brown have assured people that they had no need to worry because the council now has a 5-year supply of housing land and developers would not be able to win applications on appeal.
“Last year Cllr Jones even said the council had a 7-year supply. This has proved to be an empty promise.”
Cheshire East Council is required to demonstrate a 5-year housing supply plan, with an extra 20% on top of that because of “under supply” in previous years.
But in the latest appeal decision delivered yesterday (April 11), the Government Inspector said:
“The area that now comprises the administrative area of Cheshire East has not met its housing targets since 2008/9.
“That is almost six years, during which time there has been persistent under delivery that now amounts to over 3,000
dwellings.
“About 40% of houses assumed to be delivered within five years do not have planning permission.
“Although some development may be achieved… if the council takes a liberal view in granting planning permission in advance of the adoption of the Core Strategy, their early development is by no means a certainty.
“Given the level of objections to some of them, legal challenges cannot be ruled out and significant infrastructure requirements will undoubtedly cause delays at some sites.
“There was a distinct lack of credible hard evidence to justify the projections for some of these sites and consequently it would be unwise to place too much reliance on the potential for delivering a significant amount of the housing requirement from such sources.
“I am not persuaded that the evidence confirms that such optimism is justified.
“I conclude that the council has not demonstrated a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites.”
Cllr Michael Jones, Cheshire East Council Leader, told Nantwichnews: “We are always disappointed to lose any planning permission which is not plan-led or sustainable.
“The fight will continue on this site hopefully, but also sites throughout Cheshire East, including South Nantwich.
“It is something we will ask our lawyers to study and a more full response shall be delivered after Easter.”
Recent Comments