Cheshire East planning officers have recommended permission in principle be granted for up to nine homes on green belt land at Church Lawton.

Ivan Simkin has applied for 'permission in principle' for the properties at Grove Manor – the site of the Greenacres Plant Nursery off Liverpool Road West.

Church Lawton Parish Council has objected on the grounds of inappropriate development in the green belt, loss of openness, unsafe access and insufficient room for nine houses with adequate parking.

It also says the scheme would involve the loss of employment land.

Entrance to Greenacres site, Church Lawton (Google)

Ten residents have also objected and among their reasons are lack of local infrastructure, highways safety, parking and access, and loss of light and privacy.

A report from Cheshire East's planning officers to next week's meeting of the southern planning committee says the council does not have a five-year housing land supply.

It states: "Development of nine houses would make a small contribution to meeting the council's housing need."

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Planning officers also say the site meets grey belt criteria and so 'is not inappropriate development in green belt'.

The application is for permission in principle (PIP) – a two-stage mechanism for obtaining planning approval for housing development.

The first stage, being applied for now, is to establish whether the site is suitable in principle.

If PIP is granted, the site must receive a grant of technical details consent before development can proceed.

The southern planning committee meeting takes place at 10am on Wednesday, February 4, at Delamere House in Crewe.