Planning permission for six new houses on land off Heyes Lane previously gifted to the RSPCA has been refused for a second time by Cheshire East Council.
The application was referred to council’s Northern Planning Committee by Alderley Edge ward councillor, Cllr Craig Browne.
The committee agreed that development should not go ahead, concluding that it failed to meet standards of access, did not enhance the character of the area and constituted over-development on the plot.
The application proposed six new houses – comprising 4 four-bedroomed houses over three floors, 1 three-bedroom Dorma-bungalow and 1 two-bedroom Dorma-bungalow.
It also called for a considerable stretch of Heyes Lane to be moved in order to create a larger junction to access the site.
This would have resulted in the loss of the majority of the green verges in that area. The only remaining grass verge would be outside of the Emmerson Group offices – ironically part of the same organisation which is behind the planning application.
Alderley Edge Parish Council, represented by Cllr Myles Garbett, and local residents, represented by Sarah Greenwood, argued that there was overwhelming objection to the development.
Objections
The based their objections on the following grounds:
- The development would impact negatively on the amenity of neighbours, particularly Oakfield Close which is at a much lower level resulting in a loss of privacy and light and 81 Heyes Lane where Plot 6 would be built right on its party line
- Inadequate parking provision
- Removal of almost all the grass verges in the area to accommodate access – these are protected in the emerging Neighbourhood Plan and form part of the green infrastructure in the area
- Moving the highway to create a false bend, along a stretch of road dated back to the 1800s with a historical straight road, block terrace house build character
- Reducing pavement width and the separation between pedestrians and motorists which is at odds with the government’s active travel policy
- Unsuitability of the unadopted access road, known as Buck Horn Street, for the use of additional cars, pedestrians and cyclists
- Concern that a mature A1 graded oak tree, at the entrance of Buck Horn Street, is under threat from this work
- The planned houses would suffer from a lack of amenity space and inadequate provision for refuse storage
Those objecting to the development argued that despite moving the highway, destroying the verges and changing the historic character of the road, visibility at the entrance will not be improved as there is on road parking on that side of the carriageway.
The parked cars will simply move with the new road and the only way to prevent this would be to paint double yellow line Heyes Lane, thereby exacerbating an existing on-street parking problem.
Cllr Browne commented: “Following a two-hour discussion by members, the application was proposed for refusal with four votes in favour, four against and four abstentions, which meant that the decision came down to a casting vote.
“As chair, the casting vote is not something that I use lightly; however, on this occasion I felt that on balance the application should be refused.
“I also had concerns that the council’s parking policies, which for four-bedroom dwellings require three spaces to be provided within the curtilage of the site, were not being adhered to.”
We have contacted the company behind the plans – Deanbank Investments – for comment.
The company is owned by P.E. Jones (Properties) Limited, which is itself owned by Peter Jones and his wife Audrey.
Peter Jones is founder and chairman of Emerson Group, one of the largest privately-owned property development companies in the UK. The group’s businesses include Jones Homes, Orbit Developments and Emerson International amongst numerous others.
