It may not be game over for 880-home plan

A CHESHIRE East councillor is claiming victory in a campaign to halt an 880-house development in Crewe.

However, Manchester developer HIMOR Group has hinted it may take its plan for Gresty Oaks to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles, following a planning inspector’s dismissal of its appeal against refusal by local planners.

Cllr Brian Silvester and local residents have been battling to prevent permission for HIMOR’s plan at site.

It included schemes for residential development, a retirement care village, local centre, a community building, primary school, public open space, allotments, and structural landscaping.

Following the public inquiry held between July 22 and August 27 2014, inspector Geoffrey Hill recommended the appeal be dismissed and planning permission refused.

“I am very happy that the campaign – supported by many residents, Rope and Shavington Parish Councils, Cheshire East Council and Shavington Borough councillor David Brickhill – has been successful,” said Cllr Silvester.

“If the application had been successful it could have destroyed the precious green gap between Crewe and Shavington and caused traffic chaos as well as being unsustainable.”

But in response to the dismissal land director at Manchester- based HIMOR, Stan Shreeve, said:  “We are naturally disappointed with the outcome of the appeal, but we genuinely believe our proposal was right for the area and would have conveyed significant benefits.

“We note that the inspector did find the proposal to be sustainable development and would deliver much-needed housing.

“That he found only the ‘arguable premature loss’ of the green gap to outweigh this, when the plan that is intended to resolve this issue has been found to be significantly flawed and will be subject to substantial delay, is surprising to us.”