COUNCIL contamination officers have slammed a controversial planning application for houses on a site in Mobberley.

Cheshire East Council’s contamination team has objected to the proposal to build 290 houses and commercial properties on the Harman Technology site which was formerly the Ilford photo factory.

This is not the first time that the developers LPC Living have had designs on the site, and its first application, for up to 375 homes was rejected in November 2014. But that application is currently under appeal with the Secretary of State, meaning that two applications will be imminently up for decision.

The objection, written by Rebekah Norbury, enforcement officer for Cheshire East Council, said: “The application area has a history of industrial use and therefore the land may be contaminated.

"The application is for new residential properties which are a sensitive end use and could be affected by any contamination present or brought onto the site.

“The reports submitted with the application do not consider all potential contaminants of concern identified for the site. In particular, although the potential for radioactivity was identified within Clarke Bond’s report, this potential contaminant of concern was not brought forward within the report and it is unclear why.

“We have been unable to make a decision on whether the site is, or could be made suitable for use with respect to potential contamination caused by radioactivity, in the absence of a suitable assessment. It has not been possible to demonstrate that the proposal would comply with material planning considerations.”

The plans have caused mass objection amongst residents, and have been rejected by Mobberley Parish Council. The council, in a statement submitted in January, says that the development would see a 20 to 25 per cent increase in the town’s population, which is ‘much too high’.

Councillors said: “It is of paramount importance to maintain the character of the village and its village status.”

Gareth Wilson, resident of Bucklow Avenue and Lib Dem Tatton Constituency chair, said he is ‘delighted’ to hear that the application is being questioned and added the development is ‘ridiculously unsuitable’ for the area.

“The whole thing is just a joke,” he said.

“There are so many reasons not to build there. There will be major traffic issues, and we will be doing our own traffic survey with a transport consultant. The land could be contaminated and there’s actually sewage works at the end of the proposed site, it’s just crazy.”