Cock Inn development recommended for approval

Robinsons Brewery’s outline application to build 135 homes opposite The Cock Inn in Henbury, will go before Cheshire East’s strategic planning board next week with a recommendation to approve, despite objections from local residents and councils.

Designed by APD and supported by planner How, the brewer’s outline planning application is for up to 135 homes accessed off Chelford Road, with a new access road proposed opposite Robinsons’ Cock Inn pub.

The 13-acre site, largely used as agricultural land, is also bordered by Whirley Road to the North East. Primary access will be via a controlled junction from Chelford Road, while secondary access serving around 30 of the homes will join to Whirley Road. The majority of the land has been allocated for residential development under Cheshire East’s local plan.

Cheshire East’s planning officers have recommended the proposals for approval, subject to a Section 106 agreement, despite objections from Macclesfield town council and Henbury parish council. Macclesfield council argued the site was green belt and exceptional circumstances to build on the land had not been demonstrated. The council also said there would be a “significant impact on traffic congestion” and added there would be an impact on air quality. Henbury council’s objections also focused on air quality, as well as the impact on local services; the parish council said the new homes would “have detrimental impact on education provision”, particularly as two local schools, Fallibroome Academy and Macclesfield Academy, cannot be expanded by the local authority due to their academy status.

Approving the plans without addressing education provision “would be negligent”, according to the council.

The proposals also received 128 objection letters from local residents. However, Cheshire East planners have recommended the proposals to be approved next week, based on a Section 106 agreement.

An agreement is currently being negotiated between the council and the developer, but is slated to include an education contribution of £673,000; NHS contributions of £136,000; a housing mix containing at least 30% affordable homes; and a highways contribution of £129,000 towards improvements at Broken Cross.

The planners’ report to the committee said: “The comments received in representations have been given due consideration, however, subject to the satisfactory resolution of the Section 106 negotiations, the proposal complies with all relevant policies of the development plan and is therefore a sustainable form of development.”

It is the second major proposal along Chelford Road. The first, a 230-home scheme by Redrow and Jones Homes, was due to go before a strategic planning board meeting on 28 March but were withdrawn from the agenda due to “very late information” being made available. The outline plans for 233 homes on a 25 acre site to the south of the road, only a stone’s throw from The Cock, were also been recommended for approval by the council, again despite objections by both Henbury and Macclesfield councils.