Proposal for 400 homes as part of £69m development

Plans for Flowers Lane

North West growth and regeneration group, Torus, and residential developer Mulbury have submitted a detailed planning application to build 400 homes on a site in Leighton, near Crewe.

Torus first unveiled plans for the £69m development last November.

The 24-hectare site is the group’s single largest investment in a new housing development.

The mixed-tenure site, off Flowers Lane, includes a choice of homes for affordable rent, shared ownership and rent-to-buy.

Post-COVID design that fully considers the needs of residents, including access to greenspace, is the cornerstone of Torus’s planning and design process.

As a result, a large, public, open space at the centre of the development will offer a park, playing fields and play areas for children.

The homes – a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom properties – will be accessed through a new road off Flowers Lane. New pedestrian footpaths also form part of the development, linking it with surrounding areas.

Chris Bowen, Torus Developments managing director, said: “A landmark site for the group, Flowers Lane is another example of our commitment to investing in Cheshire East through boosting access to truly affordable homes.

“Coronavirus has shone a light on the need for high-quality housing which supports people onto, or along, the property ladder without overstretching themselves financially, which is why we are actively developing a mixed-tenure site suitable for first time buyers, downsizers and families.

“Collaborating with regional and national partners, Flowers Lane will see us build the homes local people need, exactly where they need them, to support the development of a residential site that will boost and improve residents and the wider community’s health and wellbeing.”

Martin Bury, co-founder and director of Mulbury, said: “We have a long standing relationship with Torus and we’re incredibly proud to be working in partnership again on this major scheme, which is the largest site we’ve delivered in terms of housing numbers.

“The Leighton scheme creates a distinctive range of family homes that will make this a special community with lots of character. The significant green infrastructure, which includes the park and the retention of trees and hedgerows, will also create a real sense of place.”

North West planning consultancy Satplan advised Mulbury and Torus on the reserved matters planning application. Specialist Chester-based design practice APD advised on the design and masterplanning for the site.

Other members of the project team included Campbell Reith (flood and drainage consultant), WSP (transport), and Urban Green (arboriculture and ecology).

The site is allocated for residential development in Cheshire East’s Council’s Local Plan. A planning decision is expected in the Autumn.

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