Cheshire East has given the green light for up to eight homes on a parcel of land close to the Rising Sun at Scholar Green.

The Station Road site is within the open countryside and within the Potteries green belt, but council planning officer Richard Taylor told today's (Wednesday) meeting of the southern planning committee because of its location it would be a 'logical rounding off of the village'.

The applicant's agent, Claire Preston, said: "The application site meets the criteria for grey belt land and as there is a demonstrable unmet need of housing in light of the council's lack of a five-year land supply and the sustainable location of the site, as such your officer has concluded the proposal is acceptable in principle.

"The dwellings are arranged with acceptable spacing between neighbouring properties, therefore there are no objections in terms of impacts upon the amenity of adjoining neighbours.

"In terms of impacts upon the Macclesfield Canal conservation area and grade-two listed bridge, the council's heritage officer has determined the proposal to have a neutral impact upon the setting of heritage assets."

Cllr Stewart Gardiner (Knutsford, Con) questioned these statements pointing out the application was in outline form only and the layout submitted for the properties was only indicative and would be determined at the later reserved matters stage.

This was acknowledged by the agent.

The scheme also involves removing the boundary hedge along Station Road for visibility splays and replanting a new native species hedgerow set further back.

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The hedge along the canal will be retained.

Scholar Green 8 Homes App From Planning Meeting The application site for the eight homes is off Station Road at Scholar Green, (from CEC planning meeting)

Shavington councillor Linda Buchanan (Lab) sought assurances the canal hedge would be protected so future residents could not remove part of it to have a gate from their back garden out to the canal.

This was added as a condition.

Cllr Andrew Kolker (Dane Valley, Con) said Odd Rode Parish Council had concerns about highway safety on that stretch of road.

Highways officer Rachel Sandy said it was not felt the scheme would have an unacceptable impact on highway safety.

Cllr Roger Morris (Crewe, Con) said he was surprised at the speed the vehicles came over the bridge during the site visit.

"Has any consideration been given to the closeness of the bridge and the speed of the vehicles coming over the bridge?" he asked.

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Ms Sandy said: "They won't be able to see, obviously, past the peak of the bridge, but they can get the necessary required standard visibility splay envelope with the hedge set back behind that visibility splay."

Cllr John Wray (Brereton, Con) moved the application be approved subject to conditions and this was seconded by Middlewich councillor Garnet Marshall (Ind).

The vote was unanimous – although the application was delegated back to officers to enable the consideration of a hedgerow assessment, which had been requested but not yet received.

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