Cheshire East Council leader offers reassurance on housing (From Knutsford Guardian)

Clr Mike Jones offers reassurance on housing numbers for Knutsford

6:30pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News By James Wilson

THE leader of Cheshire East Council reassured Knutsford people at a public meeting that no more than 400 homes would be built in the town over the next 20 years.

Clr Michael Jones was present at a public meeting at the Jubilee Hall on Stanley Road on Wednesday, February 27.

An audience of more than 60 Knutsford residents attended the meeting, where Clr Jones was quizzed on many aspects of the town, including the local plan consultation, bus services, BeWILderwood, joint working between his authority and Cheshire West and Chester and the future of Knutsford Sports Club.

Residents asked the council leader why one area of Knutsford had been selected for development – the north west – and he admitted the decision was down to a reluctance to ‘nibble around’ the perimeter of the town.

)He stressed that development in one place would mean this would not happen. Clr Jones also told those at the meeting that he wanted to build on brownfield sites before building on the green belt – and admitted he would have liked to have seen housing on the site currently being built on by supermarket chain Aldi.

“The number of houses that have been allocated to Knutsford is significantly less than what a similar town the size of Knutsford would have had,” he said.

“There should be development so young people can stay in the community and if older people want to downsize. Cheshire East has the highest number of single people living in four-bedroom homes in the country.”

Guy Hill from Knutsford Sports Club spoke said the club was a ‘lynchpin’ to the north Knutsford plans, and the club was in a dilemma over whether it would be best to move or stay put.

“Our landlord has offered us a chance to move but we have to look after our clubs and make it viable,” he said.

Clr Jones admitted the club was in a difficult situation, but urged it to continue talking to the landlord.

Talking about the proposed creation of a playground in Tatton Park, Clr Jones said: “I’m not very impressed by BeWILDerwood.

“The National Trust supports it but it’s not a brilliant scheme, it’s a good scheme.”