Cheshire West refuses Tattenhall homes plan
PLANS for more than 300 homes on agricultural land near Chester have been rejected by councillors.
Separate applications to develop parts of Tattenhall from housebuilders Taylor Wimpey and Redrow were turned down by Cheshire West and Chester, along with a proposal by developer Ashley Wall.
Taylor Wimpey was planning 110 homes, Redrow 70 and Mr Wall up to 137.
Planning officers had advised councillors to approve the schemes but they were refused on the grounds of having an adverse affect on the character and appearance of the village.
The committee did approve a plan for 31 houses as well as a shop, pub and post office on a brownfield site put forward by Blackham Developments.
Planning committee Chairman Jill Houlbrook said the refused schemes would surround Tattenhall “with one great big housing estate”.
Council leader Mike Jones told the meeting that changes to the planning system had temporarily opened the way for developers to make speculative applications.
He said: “Developers are seeking to exploit a window in the system driven by the old and out of date policies of the Regional Spatial Strategy using pre-2003 data, and before the new system comes fully into place.
“Although the Local Plan is out of date, we must not abandon common sense. It is wrong that such a disproportionate burden should fall on Tattenhall, on a first come first served basis.
“I urge you to support the residents of Tattenhall and those other communities in our borough that are being subjected to these reckless and speculative developments.”
