Council to challenge planning decision

Cheshire East Council is to challenge a key controversial planning decision in the courts.

The authority, in light of the Elworth Hall Farm ruling, requested that top legal counsel advise the Council about scope for a realistic Judicial Review of the decision.

The Council is now pleased to announce that it does have scope to review and shall be asking the courts to review the controversial decision.

Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: "This was a very important planning decision, which was produced in a way which left many members of the public concerned.

"I am pleased to see that we will be asking a judge to review this decision – especially on the issue of our having a five-year supply of housing land.

"I have always promised the people of Sandbach, and of Cheshire East as a whole, that we will do everything we can to defend our greenbelt and green gap spaces – and this is no exception.

"We are committed to protect our countryside from unplanned, unwanted and unsustainable development."

A planning appeal decision published on April 11, 2014, granted planning permission to Rowland Homes to develop land at Elworth Hall Farm, in Sandbach, to build 96 homes. Cheshire East Council had refused planning permission in February 2013.

A planning Inspector overturned the refusal (on April 11th), arguing that the plans were sustainable development, that the benefits of the proposals outweighed any harm and that the Council could not prove it had five-years supply of deliverable housing land. Cheshire East Council vigorously contests these claims.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.