Decision Notice on Mill Lane

A formal Decision Notice has at last been issued on the refusal of planning permission for the Hockenhull housing scheme of Mill Lane.

The notice was issued on November 5th, nearly a month after the decision to refuse was taken at Cheshire East's Strategic Planning Board meeting on October 9th.

The local planning authority must formally notify the applicant of its decision using a written decision notice and the Secretary of State had a right to 'call in' the application for his own determination after the council refused the application but before a decision was issued.

The Cheshire East notice spells out four reasons for refusing outline planning permission to erect up to 36 dwellings on land east of 22 Heathfield Road, Audlem.

It says the proposed residential development is unsustainable because it is located within the Open Countryside and would create harm to interests of acknowledged importance and that the plans are also contrary to the emerging Development Strategy.

It also rules that the proposed access to plots 19 and 20, on Mill Lane is not suitable for further development as it would have a significant adverse impact on highway safety.

The notice says insufficient information has been submitted relating to bats in order to assess adequately the impact of the development having regard to the issue of protected species.

And it also says the proposal fails to make adequate provision for infrastructure requirements and community facilities, in the form of medical provision, the need for which arises directly as a consequence of the development.

Having received formal notice of the decision, Hockenhull Properties Ltd may now lodge an appeal against the decision.

Given Cheshire East's failure to sign off a Local Plan and that its forecasts of a deliverable five-year housing supply have been called into question it seems highly likely that an appeal will be announced in the near future.

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