Green light for 1,300 Chester homes
Cheshire West & Chester Council has resolved to grant planning permission for two residential planning applications in the Wrexham Road strategic allocation area, to be brought forward by Redrow and Taylor Wimpey.
The local authority’s planning committee this week considered the pair of applications. which include a bid for full consent for the demolition of existing buildings and the phased development of 786 homes on the 89-acre northern part of the site, with Redrow and Taylor Wimpey working together. The application includes sports pitches.
The southern part of the site, to be progressed by Redrow alone, includes full permission for the phased development of 483 homes and outline consent for neighbourhood uses, including a 5,380 sq ft supermarket, around 5,000 sq ft of other retail, a pub, restaurant, nursery and primary school.
A central park called Moat Park is proposed adjacent to and incorporating a medieval moat site, which is a designated Scheduled Monument. This is centrally located opposite the proposed primary school and the sport pitches, and close to the local centre, all served of a secondary loop road. In all, the sites will have three access points off Wrexham Road.
The applications were already covered by an existing outline planning application for up to 1,400 homes, and while the applicants still want a decision on that application, the whole project has been expedited by these detailed applications. A fourth relevant application concerns an off-site ecological mitigation area close to the site, which will see ten new ponds created for wildlife including great crested newts, replacing five ponds on the largely agricultural application sites.
Planning consultant Lichfields, Planit-IE and TPM Landscape are among the professional team on the project.
Paul Moore, managing director of Redrow Homes (NW) said: “Plans for the Wrexham Road site have evolved over many years and we have worked closely with the local authority, relevant bodies and the community to develop a scheme that we are confident will both meet housing need and benefit the local area.
“As a result we’re pleased that a resolution to grant planning consent has been given and hope to start work on infrastructure by summer this year, with a view to releasing homes for sale a few months later and welcoming the first residents in spring 2020.”
Anthony Mansfield, managing director of Taylor Wimpey North West, added: “Between our two companies we will provide 1,269 homes and associated amenities. We’ve paid close attention to ecological concerns and will provide a managed wildlife habitat. It’s an exciting development that will provide a significant proportion of Chester’s housing need over the coming years, including 30% affordable housing. We can’t wait to get started.”
Paycause, the joint venture vehicle between Redrow and Taylor Wimpey, first prepared a draft development brief for the formerly Green Belt site in 2013 and held consultation events in 2015 and 2016. Development is expected to take place over 14 years.
The overall housing mix is 73 one-bedroom dwellings, 209 two-bed, 353 three-bed, 590 four-bed and 44 five-bedroom houses. Of the 381 affordable homes, 73 are to be one-bed apartments, 75 two-bed apartments, 115 two-bed hoses, 114 three-bed houses and four four-bed houses
Chester clearly solving its housing problems one executive home at a time. Any one who knows this part of Chester understands how road traffic gets funnelled through a very limited set of junctions from the A55 into Chester, with very heavy volume in and out of the business park at peak hours, and this location lacks significant amenity in terms of walkable retail, people are going to be in their car just to buy a packet crisps.
By Cestrian
A question of not in my back yard. The fact & truth is we need more housing. As long as it is affordable for people starting off & should be for them & NOT for investment buyers wanting to rent them out!!! Also I work on the business park & find The King’s School holds up a lot of the traffic at peak times & need to add drop off point or slip road at their lights, as seem to have enough funds to extend their buildings for even more pupils. The parents flash each other through on red lights…..hardly a good example to teach your child & risk their well being!
By Mrs roberts
For the record, I don’t live there, but I do use the business park like you, and you’ll know that A55 junction has been rebuilt maybe 3 or 4 times in the last 10 years, and still struggles to handle the traffic at peak times. One might reflect that certain aristocratic landowner might not be willing to sacrifice part of their estate to create proper access to Chester yet happy to pick up revenues from the business park.
By Cestrian
Is there a management fee associated with this development for maintaing the grounds etc? Also if there is a management company how much is it and could you guarantee the the payment are going to double in price after the first year and so on?
By Emily Davies