Up to 160 homes at Land At Booths Park Chelford Road, Knutsford

What was proposed

The outline scheme proposed up to 160 homes, including 30% affordable housing, open space, drainage works, landscaping and access arrangements.

“Outline application for up to 160 new houses including 30% affordable homes, together with associated open space, sustainable drainage works and landscaping. All matters reserved apart from means of access.”

“Essentially the proposal (which has recently been amended) is to develop the northwestern parcel of land for housing – up to 160 units and the proposals are supported by a number of plans/reports including a detailed Design and Access statement including a Spatial Design Code. The other site to the northeast would be retained as parkland with additional tree planting.”

Officer report

The site and its setting

The site included grassland, former parkland, trees, Booths Mere, agricultural land and the setting of Booths Hall and a Scheduled Monument.

“This application relates to land at Booths Hall in Knutsford. The site consists to two fairly regularly shaped parcels of land, firstly an area to the north and west of the main Booths Hall complex characterised by grassland – formerly parkland with Lime Walk a footpath set in a treelined avenue to the southwest; a well screened wooded boundary to the northwest; Booths Mere (a Local Wildlife Site) to the north east; and a mixed boundary to Booths Hall to the southeast.”

“OFFICIAL a roundabout on Chelford Road the A537. The greater site is sizable, with extensive areas of parkland to the southwest featuring a cricket pitch and rugby pitch, whereas land to the east is in mainly in agricultural use (including a small farm complex) with some sizable areas of woodland. Within one area of woodland to the east of the office complex is Norbury Booths Hall moated site, fishponds and connecting channels - a Scheduled Monument.”

Officer report

Planning history

The office park had several approvals, while a separate application for the new housing access remained undetermined.

“There are a number of planning approvals for the office park to the south east of the site, including a fairly recent approval for a new office building – now built, but nothing of relevance to the determination of this application. The application was submitted with a separate full application to create a new access:”

“25/1469/FUL - Full application for new access road to serve housing site, including associated landscaping and sustainable drainage works. Land At Booths Park Chelford Road, Knutsford, Cheshire East CURRENT UNDETERMINED”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended refusal because the scheme’s scale was considered harmful to heritage, trees, open space, drainage, landscaping and design quality.

“Concerns have however been raised by the Council’s Forestry, Landscape, Green spaces and Heritage Officers with regards to the scale of the development proposed – that of up to 160 dwellings. Numerous meetings have been held with the applicant, and whilst it is acknowledged that the latest Design and Access Statement and Design Code has gone some way to address some concerns, the number of dwellings proposed is the main stumbling block.”

“OFFICIAL landscaping. The public benefits of the proposed development are not of sufficient weight to justify the harm identified. The development is therefore considered to be contrary to guidance within the NPPF and to Policies SE1 Design, SE4 The Landscape, SE5 Trees, SE 6 Green Infrastructure & SE7 The Historic Environment of the CELPS, and Policies GEN 1 Design Principles, ENV 5 Landscaping, ENV 6 Trees, HER 4 Listed buildings & REC 3 Open space implementation of the…”

Officer report

Consultation and public views

Several consultees raised no objections subject to measures, while heritage, archaeology, design, landscape, trees and green-space concerns remained.

“Historic England - has concerns regarding the application on heritage grounds. The Heritage Impact Assessment does not provide sufficient assessment of the proposed impacts to the setting of the Scheduled Monument. As such, in order for this application to progress, we advise that a Settings Assessment should be undertaken. Furthermore, a Hydrological Assessment should be undertaken.”

“CEC Highways – No objections subject to conditions relating to improvements to the pedestrian/cycle path & provision of two new bus stops together with S106 contributions to bus provision.”

Officer report

What people said

The town council supported the scheme subject to changes, while residents raised concerns about access, ecology, drainage, highways, amenity, infrastructure and heritage.

“Access concerns regarding active travel provisions. • Ecology concerns regarding the habitats of birds and bats. • Flooding and drainage concerns and a request for more information from United Utilities. • Inconsistencies in the design which could affect neighbouring amenity. • Concerns about the location of play areas in the design and allotments. • Highway impacts in terms of increase in track levels and lack of parking.”

“Outline application deficiencies across multiple disciplines for example the housing mix is unknown. • Inconsistencies with the local and Knutsford neighbourhood plan. • Urban design concerns as highlighted by the 3 red ratings from the Council’s officer. • Loss of greenbelt land concerns as the red outline is larger than the size of the safeguarded land in the local plan. • Electricity substation location concerns regarding increasing water in the area.”

Officer report

Who spoke

The ward councillor, three objectors and the agent or applicant made representations at the meeting.

The committee’s decision

The committee approved the application subject to a legal agreement and conditions, including a full design code and a maximum of 145 properties.

“That application 25/1468/OUT be APPROVED as per the officer’s recommendation, subject to an S106 agreement and conditions:”

“Prior to submission of any reserved matters application submission of a full design code 43. Any reserved matters shall be accompanied by a code compliance statement 44. Limit the number of properties to a maximum of 145”

Minutes