Up to 8 homes at Land At Station Road, Scholar Green

What was proposed

The outline application sought up to eight homes, with access from Station Road and parking and a turning head within the site.

“This is an application for outline planning permission for the erection of up to 8 dwellings with associated hardstanding and residential curtilages. The application includes the proposed access to serve the development.”

“Access to the site would be provided from the north at Station Road, with a proposed turning head within the site with 2 parking spaces allocated to each dwelling.”

Officer report

The site and its history

The site is outside the settlement boundary in Open Countryside and Green Belt, beside the canal, with two earlier housing applications refused.

“The site is outside of any settlement boundary and as such is within the designated Open Countryside. Additionally, the site is within the Potteries Green Belt. The site is adjacent to the infill village boundary of Scholar Green. The site is adjacent to the Macclesfield Canal Conservation Area and the bridge over the canal is a Grade II Listed structure.”

“Land levels are relatively consistent, although they do fall slightly away from the public highway where the highway rises to the bridge over the canal. There are established hedgerows at the boundary of the site with Station Road and the canal. The site, at the time of the case officer’s visit had a section of gravel hardstanding and a skip.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval subject to a hedgerow assessment and conditions, finding the proposal acceptable in principle and its benefits greater than identified harm.

“An update will be provided in terms of the hedgerow assessment but as things stand any harm would not significantly or demonstrably outweigh the benefits.”

“Subject to the submission and consideration of a Hedgerow Regulations Assessment - Approve subject to following conditions:”

Officer report

Main planning issues

Officers considered the site Grey Belt, housing need and location acceptable, while finding no unacceptable effects on heritage, amenity, drainage, ecology or highways.

“The application site can be considered Grey Belt land, and there is a demonstrable unmet need for housing, and that the site is sustainably located. As such the proposal would be acceptable in principle.”

“The proposed development would not negatively impact the setting of the nearby heritage asset of the Macclesfield Canal Conservation Area and Listed Bridge. The application is also acceptable in terms of noise (the nearby railway and public house), amenity, drainage, and ecology.”

Officer report

Local concerns

The parish council questioned the density and highway safety and reported a past culvert collapse, while one public objection cited highway safety.

“Odd Rode Parish Council – The Council makes the following observations: Density - the site is at the entrance to the village and a less dense development would be more appropriate in this location. It has open space agricultural land to two sides (one on the other side of the canal) and the other property at the entrance (on the other side of Station Road) is set back with a large garden to the front.”

“One letter of objection has been received from neighbours/members of the public on the basis of highway safety.”

Officer report

Who spoke

An agent attended and spoke about the application.

The committee’s decision

The committee delegated the application for approval, subject to the hedgerow assessment and listed conditions; one councillor did not vote.

“That for the reasons set out in the report, the application be delegated back to the Head of Planning, in consultation with the Chair of Southern Planning Committee, for APPROVAL subject to the consideration of a hedgerow regulations assessment and the following conditions:”

“Application for Reserve Matters shall be made within 3 years. 2. Development to commence before whichever is the later of the following dates: (a) within three years of the date of this permission, or (b) within two years of approval of the last of the reserved matters to be approved. 3. Approval of details of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale (the reserve matters) shall be obtained from LPA before development commences. 4.”

Minutes