Housing access road at Land At Booths Park Chelford Road, Knutsford

What was proposed

The application proposed a 377-metre access road with a footway, landscaping and drainage to serve safeguarded land for housing.

““Full application for new access road to serve housing site, including associated landscaping and sustainable drainage works.”

“OFFICIAL 2.3. Essentially the proposal seeks full planning permission to build an access road, 377m long from the new access point to the car park in the south to the edge of the safeguarded land, with a 6.0m-wide carriageway and a 2.0m footway, in an arc to the northwest around the “back” of the office complex to the allocated safeguarded land subject to an outline application for housing, also on this agenda.”

Officer report

The site

The site was mainly amenity grassland and grazing land, with an existing agricultural access and some parkland trees.

“This application relates to an area of land within Booths Park, to the northeast of the main office complex. The site is currently largely used as either amenity grassland adjacent to the office buildings, or outside a field boundary, grazing land. An existing agricultural access crosses the site running from the nearby farm complex to land to the north. There are a limited number of parkland trees within the site boundary.”

Officer report

Related housing application

The road application was submitted alongside an undetermined outline application for up to 163 homes and apartments with affordable housing.

“There are a number of planning approvals for the office park adjacent to 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 an outline application for housing to the northwest.”

“25/1468/OUT Outline application for up to 163 houses and apartments including 30% affordable homes, together with associated open space, sustainable drainage works and landscaping. All matters reserved apart from means of access. Land At Booths Park Chelford Road, Knutsford, Cheshire East CURRENT, UNDETERMINED”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended refusal because the linked housing application was recommended for refusal, leaving the road without a purpose and harming Green Belt openness and historic parkland.

“The principle of this development is tied to the main outline application also on this agenda for housing. Should that application be approved then it is considered that the principle of this road in the Green Belt can be seen as appropriate development, and here the less than substantial harm to the heritage asset – the historic parkland is considered to be outweighed by the public benefits of the development taken as a whole.”

“However, as the outline application is recommended for refusal, then this application would have to be considered inappropriate development, as it would serve no purpose, and as one resident referred to as “a road to nowhere”, and have an unacceptable impact on openness, together with the less than significant harm to the heritage asset. As such on the assumption the housing application is refused, then this application is also recommended for refusal.”

Officer report

Consultation responses

Most consultees raised no objection, subject to details or conditions, while the Gardens Trust identified less than substantial harm to historic parkland.

“Cheshire Gardens Trust – Commenting on both applications; the road and the outline housing scheme, they write that these applications have a potential material impact on the significance of the parkland and surviving garden of Booths Hall, identified by The Garden Trust as of local importance, and contained within the Trust’s Local List of important parks and gardens.”

“OFFICIAL 7.8. We write to confirm that we do not object to the current outline and full planning applications, the site having been allocated as ‘safeguarded land’ in the Cheshire East Local Plan and in Knutsford Neighbourhood Plan. We concur with the Heritage Impact Assessment that the impact on the historic parkland is ‘less than substantial’.”

Officer report

Residents’ views

The Town Council supported the road subject to the housing application being decided first, while residents questioned its purpose and raised visual and Green Belt concerns.

“Knutsford Town Council - The Town Council raises no objections, subject to determining application 25/1468/OUT prior to this application as this outline housing application is directly linked to the need for the proposed road within this application.”

“A number of residents letters have been received, and although the majority of them concern the outline housing application, not the road specifically, those that do specifically mention it make reference for the need to determine the housing application first, otherwise if the housing application is not approved then it would be a road to nowhere, and some residents have expressed concern about the visual impact of the road in a rural environment, and impact on the…”

Officer report

Who spoke

The ward councillor, an objector and the agent or applicant made representations to the committee.

The committee decision

The committee approved the application as recommended, subject to a Section 106 Agreement linking it to development of the safeguarded land and listed conditions.

“That application 25/1469/FUL be APPROVED as per the officer’s recommendation, subject to a Section 106 Agreement linking this application to development of the safeguarded land, and the following conditions:”

“Three-year start 2. Approved plans 3. Landscaping details to be approved include lighting and details of surfacing for the road. 4. Maintenance of landscaping 5. Tree protection 6. Arboricultural method statement 7. Drainage – trees 8. Bird nesting season 9. Submission of a sustainable surface water drainage scheme and a foul water drainage scheme – UU 10. Development to proceed in accordance with the Flood Risk Assessment 11. Soil testing…”

Minutes