A potential development of up to 220 homes may soon be built on a 12.6-hectare plot off Crewe Road in Wistaston, currently consisting of open fields and grassland.
Redrow Homes, the developer behind the project, has approached Cheshire East Council for a formal screening opinion. This assessment will determine whether an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is necessary for the proposed scheme.
EIAs play a crucial role in evaluating the environmental implications of significant development proposals, ultimately informing council decisions on planning permissions.
In a letter submitted by SatPlan Planning and Development on behalf of Redrow Homes, it is argued that the site, although situated within a strategic gap between Crewe and Nantwich, is adjacent to the built-up area and "is well-related to the existing settlement of Wistaston, noting the site's containment within Colleys Lane to the west".
The letter adds: "Consequently, the site is considered to represent a logical extension to the settlement."
Regarding the visual impact of the proposed development, the letter notes: "Overall, the visual impact of the site is largely restricted to the immediate locality with primary visual receptors being passing footpath users in the north and private direct views afforded by residents whose properties share a boundary with the site along Crewe Road, Sandylands Park and, to a lesser extent, Colleys Lane."
The proposed plan is for a development of up to 220 houses, along with the necessary infrastructure.
The letter outlines: "Green infrastructure, to include public open space, would be located to the north of the PRoW (public right of way) connected via a new traffic-free pedestrian/cycle route through the centre of the site along the alignment of the existing watercourse."
The planned development would also feature an access point from Crewe Road.
The agent representing the applicant contends that the proposal does not represent a scheme of more than local importance and 'the types of impact anticipated are not of a level of magnitude, complexity or significance such that EIA would be required to evaluate them'.
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