A reserved matters application for five warehouses in Alsager was approved as Cheshire East Council's hands were tied following a condition imposed by the planning inspector at an appeal hearing.

Residents of Alsager had campaigned against the proposals, submitted by Commercial Development Projects, to build the units land south of Crewe Road, known as Radway Green North, Alsager.

The new warehouses will provide up to 19,236 square metres of employment floor space and the site is allocated for employment development in Cheshire East Council's Local Plan. The application received outline permission following an appeal hearing in March.

The matters of access, layout, landscaping and scale had all been approved at the outline stage, and those issues could not be reconsidered.

The application discussed at today's (Wednesday) Strategic Planning Board was to consider the issue of appearance of the five warehouses only.

However, the committee was told that discussions regarding the detailed design of the warehouses was restricted due to a condition imposed by the planning inspector Kelly Ford at the outline application's appeal hearing.

Highlighting what Ms Ford imposed, Daniel Evans, a Cheshire East planning officer, stated at today's meeting: "Appearance is a reserved matter, but the appellant has prepared a design guide setting out a framework of a detailed design including materials to guide the appearance of the buildings.

"At the hearing, the council confirmed its agreement to its reference in a planning condition should the appeal be allowed."

Mr Evans, who attended the appeal hearing at Crewe Alexandra Football Club in February, told the meeting that Cheshire East planning officers had agreed on the design guide with the developers there and then.

The application was referred to Strategic Planning Board at the request of Alsager ward councillor Phil Williams.

Speaking at the Strategic Planning Board, Cllr Williams, explained why he called the application in: "This is a highly significant development at a key location and one of our main gateways to our town, the people of Alsager are going to have to live with the presence and appearance of these warehouses for many years to come.

"Visitors approaching from the west will inevitably encounter them and receive their initial impression of our town from the visual impact that they create. It is essential that the visual appearance is right and right in context."

Cllr Williams stated that the warehouse closest to Crewe Road will be directly opposite the Holly Barn property and the adjacent Holly House Hotel.

The Alsager ward councillor highlighted that the Alsager Neighbourhood Plan states that all new employment development "must be of high-quality design".

Addressing fellow committee members, Cllr Williams added: "The designs that you have before you might be high quality in the right context on an industrial park away from a major gateway, but in this context I believe more is required.

"You have been asked to address appearance, rather than massing, positioning and location, but all these aspects are interlinked. Appearance cannot be considered in isolation.

"I very much agree with the view of Alsager Town Council, that the appearance must include the position and height of the units.

"These units remain at an overbearing scale and form an unremitting wall of outer scale development that with any efforts in terms of colour schemes and shading, the proposed units would remain featureless, windowless and present a depressing frontage alongside the main approach into town.

"The applicant has given reasons why it believes a green wall wouldn't be appropriate, perhaps there could be other solutions and other forms of visual mitigation that go beyond immature tree planting, which takes at least ten years to take effect.

"We all accept planning permission has been granted and the development must take place, however given the visual impact of the scheme in such a prime location, I believe the people of Alsager deserve more."

Alsager town councillor Sue Helliwell stated that the town council would support the implementation of a living wall and if the application was approved, requested that the developer and Cheshire East worked with the town council on the types of colour metal cladding used in the construction of the warehouse units.

However, the applicant produced several reasons why they wouldn't install a green wall which included:

- The additional capital cost of the installation of the green wall together with the associated irrigation and plants make it unsuitable for this type of development.

- The use of climbers planted at the foot of the walls will not readily adhere to the smooth metal cladding surface and are not recommended.

- There would be no visual or practical benefit at this site because the developer will implement substantial screen planting adjacent to the buildings. This will provide the same environmental benefits associated with green walls.

- There are no environmental or visual benefits from the installation of green walls.

Echoing the planning inspectors comments on the outline application won on appeal, Alsager town councillor Derek Hough felt that improvements could be made due to the application complying with "only parts" of Cheshire East's design guide to "achieve a sense of place".

Cllr Hough said: "Warehouses one and two are large and would dominate the area. We do not think the current scheme fulfils the advice of the local plan regarding justification."

Cllr Michael Unett, an Alsager town councillor, who was also speaking in objection to the application, requested on behalf of the Crewe Road Action Group that double yellow lines were implemented along the road outside their homes to mitigate against the additional car parking traffic the development would bring.

Applicant Miranda Bell told the committee that they have five different colour options for the warehouses (2x light grey, dark grey, green, beige and blue) and they would be willing to discuss those with Alsager Town Council.

Mr Evans stated that a planning condition could be amended to ensure the town council's involvement in the colour of the metal cladding, but he felt "apart from that, I cannot see how the appearance doesn't comply with what is in the design guide".

The Strategic Planning Board agreed to delegate to the head of planning in consultation with the chair of SPB to approve the application, subject to the amendment of a condition relating to materials, which will see Alsager Town Council consulted on the colour of the metal cladding.