Harlex faces refusal in Trafford
Planning officers have recommended the council reject the developer’s outline application for 116 homes at the former World of Pets site in Timperley.
The Harlex Property scheme calls for the new homes to be energy-efficient, with 45% of them to be designated affordable. It would also create a new park and improve pedestrian and cycle routes.
The site sits off Thorley Lane and is designated as Green Belt, despite being brownfield. It was identified as suitable for new housing in Places for Everyone, which was submitted to government earlier this month. However, planning officers said that PfE allocation can only be granted limited weight when considering the application because it has not been fully confirmed.
The officers went on to say the development “would have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the existing buildings on site” and that it would encroach into the countryside.
James Nicholson, managing director of Harlex, voiced his disappointment over the recommendation.
“Anybody who drives past the site can see that we are proposing much-needed new homes on previously developed brownfield land,” he said.
“It is clear that there is pent-up demand for new housing in Timperley. This was reflected in the number of people wanting to register their interest in a new home at pre-application stage and the support the application has received from local residents.”
Nicholson went on to say that because the council approved PfE it had already accepted that the old World of Pets site was suitable for new housing.
“All our application does is help to speed-up delivery of 116 new homes, including the largest onsite contribution to affordable housing in recent years,” he said.
“At a time when the cost of living crisis is making home ownership increasingly unaffordable, Trafford councillors have an opportunity to show that they are on the side of ordinary families looking for an affordable place to live.”
Rapleys is the planning consultant for the project. Northmill Associates designed the scheme.
Trafford Council’s planning committee will debate the application on 10 March. Should the committee go against the officer recommendation and approve Harlex’s plans, the application could still be called in by the Secretary of State.
Want to learn more about this project? The application’s reference number with Trafford Council is 105905/OUT/21.
Struggling to see anything that could be described as a park within that red boundary line, unless they are paying for one elsewhere?
By harpisord
This is not a brownfield site. Only about 40% of it is built on and that’s with greenhouses and garden. Harlex trying to make out like it’s an old arsenic factory site or something. If there wasn’t so much blatant developer waffle spewing from them they might have stood more of a chance.
Their proposal is an obvious cash grab on the first sniff of potential greenbelt release.
If the greenbelt is to be released it can only be if there is absolute certainty that it is coordinated; this is anything but and would clash with the junction of the potential new bypass.
By Thumbs Up
The site is part of a flood plain, there is the stream running though the site which regularly overflows.
There are also protected plants, amphibians and bats living there.
No way can this be allowed.
By Jean smith
“We urgently need to build more affordable housing”.
Not there though,
or over there,
Definitely not here
or there
Maybe there will be a site on an old industrial wasteground in Narnia, next to the end of a rainbow that the planning officers will be on side with
By Alan Partridge
Two applications in Trafford rejected on same day. One on brownfield site refused for not providing enough affordable owing to infrastructure cost, one on greenfield providing 52 affordable units rejected for not being brownfield. Combined have probably spent £700k on consultant fees. The planning system is fundamentally broken.
By Anon
The top left area where they are proposing housing is full of Japanese Knotweed
Remember this area is STILL designated GREEN BELT
-It is a flood plain and Timperley Brook cannot cope with more run off as it regularly floods further downstream.
-It has already had plans for 23 houses knocked back as being to intrusive for the area, this is for 116 houses/flats.
-Timperley cannot cope with more traffic
-The area has no capacity in local schools.
-The wildlife will be decimated.
-100year old trees uprooted
-They are planning 4 storey buildings completely out of character for the area.
By Carole
There is in fact huge opposition to the proposed scheme which threatens wildlife and is likely to worsen the existing problems with flooding. An earlier application with far fewer homes was rejected so I cannot understand why this one is so much bigger unless they hope to reach a compromise. There is also no extra provision of school places etc… despite there being many children already waiting for places at local schools.
By Local resident
That area is already chaotic in the mornings and evenings and you’re proposing potentially another 200 cars on the road! The local schools, doctors, dentists etc already have waiting lists. They won’t even be affordable homes. Probably 50% ownership. Just another developer trying to line their own pockets. They’re not interested in local communities. They just want to keep building on the little open green spaces that are left.
By Frances