Nether Alderley, Cheshire
The old walled garden
A fifty home scheme for Alderley Park has been recommended for approval despite objections from the parish council and numerous residents.
Jones Homes has applied to Cheshire East Council for full planning permission for two of the remaining undeveloped residential parcels in the southern campus area of Alderley Park, off Congleton Road, Nether Alderley.
Seventeen homes are planned for the first site, referred to as the walled garden. The wall, which is considered curtilage listed, forms the site boundary.
The second site, referred to as the kitchen garden, would see 33 built.
Glasshouse, at Alderley Park
Cheshire Gardens Trust said it strongly believes the form and layout of the current proposals contain serious deficiencies.
The Trust adds: “We therefore object to the granting of detailed planning permission for the housing in the walled garden.”
The housing officer has objected because there are no affordable homes in the development.
But in a report due to go before Wednesday’s (1st September) northern planning committee the planning officer states that, as part of the outline approval on the site, it was agreed that 15% affordable housing would be provided on site under the established life science employee housing scheme and the officer recommended that continues in this case.
Nether Alderley Parish Council also has concerns about the scheme.
St Mary’s Church, Nether Alderley
It states: “Whilst the parish council appreciate that 50 dwellings were allocated on this site within the outline planning permission [in 2016], it is a great disappointment to see the massing and density of the application causing overcrowding on the two small historic areas of Alderley Park.
“The massing of the three storey, five bedroom houses will have a negative impact, not only on the site, but to surrounding dwellings which have been built and we would urge Cheshire East Council to ask for them to be removed from the application.”
Among the other objections raised by the parish council were concerns about the lack of visitor parking and access to development.
Included among the objections from many local residents are claims there is too little green space within the sites, when their names – garden- indicates this will be a feature.
Fears were also raised about traffic impacts both on the access road, Eagles Road, which is considered narrow, and at the junction with the A34.
Nether Alderley Mill
Outline approval has already been granted for the site and the 50 units are accounted for in the originally approved 275 units.
The council’s planning officer says the proposals are considered to be appropriate development in the greenbelt.
He said perhaps the most significant issue is that of design and heritage impact.
“While the council’s design and conservation officer acknowledges that the proposals have improved significantly from the original scheme, on these important sites, particularly the walled garden, further improvements could have been made to form an exemplar scheme as can be found elsewhere at Alderley Park,” stated the planning officer in the report.
“However, it is considered the design and heritage impacts are acceptable in the context of the scheme as a whole.”
Glasshouse, at Alderley Park
The officer has recommended that councillors at next Wednesday’s meeting approve the application.
The meeting takes place at 10am on Wednesday 1st September at the Glasshouse, Alderley Park, Congleton Road, Nether Alderley.
Article by Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
