Dear Editor,
I am very concerned about an application to build 188 new houses with associated access and infrastructure on unspoilt pastureland in Willaston within the Strategic Green Gap between Crewe and Nantwich.
And I am equally concerned by the process by which this application appears to be being handled.
Redrow Homes, the developer, made an initial approach to Cheshire East’s planning department in February 2025 and now a Full Planning permission application has been made.
In February last year the agent and developer Mr Shaun Taylor of SATPLAN LTD and Redrow Homes North West, made an application (25/0773/EIA) to understand whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was necessary prior to building on the proposed green belt land.
A total of 61 residents responded, comprising only two comments in support and 59 objections.
Issues raised related to traffic and highway safety, pressure on local infrastructure and services, loss of open countryside and green gap land, drainage and flooding concerns and impacts on residential amenity.
Despite this 97% objection rate and the fact that some residents were concerned the specialist reports on the Cheshire East planning portal did not highlight the active badger sett (protected species) in the middle of the proposed site, it was decided that an EIA was not required.
Now the Cheshire East planning portal shows that a Full Planning permission application (26/1149/FUL) was received from the same agent and developer, SATPLAN LTD on behalf of Redrow Homes, on 26 March 2026.
Yet it is my understanding that the Cheshire East planning team waited a month before notifying the public via a press notice on 27 April.
Given they have also stated an end date for consultation of 17th May, this implies they did not externalise this plan for 33 days and thereby reduced the opportunity for residents and the local community to respond to the absolute minimum of 21 days.
I know that many residents have only just become aware of this application to build 188 homes in the fields behind them, having not seen any evidence of planning notices in the locality.
Their opportunity to understand and respond has therefore reduced to 10 days at best.
This seems a very unreasonable and unfair timescale for residents to digest the large volume of planning information recently released on the Cheshire East planning portal and make appropriate responses.
Time is needed because, like the previous application, it appears not all the specialist reports have access to local knowledge.
For instance, the traffic assessment by an agency named Curtins appears not to recognise the sad motorcycle fatality which occurred in September last year less than 300 metres from the proposed new site entrance.
All this feels at odds with Cheshire East’s 2022 Statement of Community Involvement which says that Development Management “is undertaken in the spirit of partnership and inclusiveness” and that “The Council is committed to engaging both individuals and the wider community in the decision-making process”.
I would be interested to know exactly what steps Cheshire East Council took to inform residents and the community about planning application (26/1149/FUL) and when these were enacted?
Hopefully “the spirit of partnership and inclusiveness” does not just rely on a press notice.
I would be interested to know if Cheshire East Council are prepared to extend the consultation period in this instance to allow residents further time to consider and respond properly?
Yours faithfully
Concerned Willaston Resident
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