Plans for 68 affordable homes in Alsager look set to be refused.

Social housing provider Plus Dane wants to build the mix of flats and houses on land off Linley Road, which is allocated for development.

But the council's planning officers have recommended the southern planning committee refuse the application on a number of grounds, including the development would not provide the required financial contributions.

A report from the planning officer, due to go to Wednesday's meeting, states: "The proposal would not mitigate the full impacts of the proposal in terms of education and NHS provision and highway improvement works, with the impact of such being felt by the local community and ultimately Cheshire East would be left to fund the shortfall."

The application site comprises a 2.48 hectare parcel of land off Linley Road.

The area is mainly residential properties to the south and west, railway to the north and Cardway Business Park is to the east.

The report says 49 letters of objection were sent to the council regarding the initial scheme and 15 letters of objection to the revised scheme.

Among the concerns raised are the pressure on school and GP places, traffic impacts and loss of existing green space.

One person has written in support saying it will provide much needed affordable housing.

The planning officer's report says the development would not result in harm to living conditions of neighbouring properties and it would not cause harm to existing landscape features.

It states: "The benefits of the proposal would be the provision of 100 per cent affordable housing and the limited economic benefits during construction."

But it continues: "However, the weight to be given to the benefit of affordable housing provision is only moderate given that the council is meeting and exceeding its affordable housing targets."

The report concludes: "The benefits of the scheme to provide affordable housing and the limited economic benefits, would not outweigh the harm through lack of contributions to mitigate the impacts of the development, harm from a design perspective, lack of suitable housing mix and lack of wheelchair adaptable dwellings and lack of suitable private garden areas."

The application is recommended for refusal on a number of grounds including lack of required contributions, the proposal appears cramped as 47 per cent of the dwellings have insufficient private amenity space and because of its poor design and layout.

The meeting of the southern planning committee takes place at Crewe Municipal Buildings at 10am on Wednesday, July 31.

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