COUNCILLORS have approved plans to build 38 homes – 30 per cent affordable – in Goostrey on the site of a former chicken farm.

Bloor Housing applied to build the homes on land off New Platt Lane and behind properties on Harrison Drive.

But despite the majority of Goostrey being in Cheshire East, the land resides in Cheshire West and Chester Council land.

So a committee heard the application at a meeting in Chester on Thursday, March 20.

Planners and councillors heard the proposals for ten 5-bed units, sixteen 4-bed and one 2-bed dwellings. The 11 affordable units will be made up of three three-bed, three two-bed and five one-bed dwellings.

Present at the meeting was Sara O’Donoghue, from Cheshire East Council and David Deas, from Cheshire West, who both spoke against the application, Peter Goodfrey who spoke on behalf of Goostrey Parish Council against the application and Richard Barton who spoke on behalf of the application as the applicant’s agent.

A proposal to approve the application was carried by four votes for to three against with two abstentions.

Cheshire East Council rejected the plans for access to the site at a meeting in December 2013 but the applicant has appealed the decision on a technicality.

As a result the authority is set to discuss the access application at a meeting in April.