Refusal tipped for zoo and resi plans in Cheshire East
Recommendations have been made to the council’s southern planning committee that it turn down wildlife park proposals for Holmes Chapel and 68 homes in Alsager.
Here is what is in front of Cheshire East Council’s southern planning committee when it meets on Tuesday, 30 July:
Zoo plans
A visitor centre and several animal enclosures feature in proposals for a three-acre site at Orchards Farm, off Twemlow Lane in Holmes Chapel.
This is a revision of a previous scheme rejected by Cheshire East Council planners last year because it was decided that the zoo would infringe on the countryside and impact its character and appearance.
Zoo2U, behind the proposal, says it has outgrown its previous premises at Hall Farm in Alsager, where it offered on-site educational animal experiences with meerkats, skunks, and reptiles.
The company wants to relocate to a site to complement an ongoing farm diversification development and broaden its wildlife conservation activities.
Buildings proposed for the Holmes Chapel site would be single-storey. Most of the site apart from the reception building would be enclosed by 1.8m timber security fencing.
Zoo2U would still need a zoo licence pending planning approval, but Cheshire East Council planning chiefs have recommended refusal.
Reasons given for this recommendation include encroachment into the countryside which would harm its character and appearance.
The project team features Richard Lee Project Planning, Danial Matthias Architecture, Anser Ecology, and Professional Consult.
To view the plans, search for reference number 24/1108C on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal.
Alsager homes
Also on the agenda and recommended for refusal are plans from Plus Dane Housing for 68 homes off Linley Road in Alsager.
All homes on the six-acre site would be available for affordable rent or shared ownership.
The development would feature a mix of four one-bed flats, 36 two-bed properties of which seven would be flats, 23 three-bed dwellings, and five four-bed houses, with parking space for each dwelling.
But several reasons have been provided for the recommendation of refusal from planning chiefs.
These include a lack of contribution towards health, education, and highway improvements, insufficient private amenity space proposed, poor design and layout, and lack of suitable property mix types.
The project team features Levitt Bernstein, Rachel Hacking Ecology, Sutcliffe, and Jon Coe Tree AIA.
To view these plans, search for reference number 23/2129C on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal.
Nimbyism is growing
By Anonymous
@ Anon 3:56
Not in Manchester
By Stay strong ar kid
Correction People wittering on about ‘NIMBYs’ is growing.
By Anonymous
Cheshire East recommend refusal , there’s a shock.
By Anonymous
I think zoo2u should go ahead- it would be a wonderful educational asset for the locality as well as combining wirh an already popular visitor attraction. Its size in relation to the open space available would not detract from the overall green expanses. Seems a wonderful idea and should be allowed.
By Anonymous
What is happening to our lovely green pastures.
In America people don’t know what a cow looks like they have never seen one out in the fields grazing .
British history is definitely declining rapidly the same way.
By Peter Cornes
Ahem, as an American I can vouch for the fact that many of us do know what a cow looks like. Good chunk of the country is farmland. (Sorry to jump in, just had to defend my homeland!)
By Julia Hatmaker
It’s not a zoo though is it and whatever it pretends to be it’s totally unnecessary.
By Not a nimby !
They’re building badly needed housing. Drop the insistence on contribution to health, education and highway. That is your responsibility
By david billington