Plans for holiday lodges near Wilmslow recommended for refusal

Terence Cummins wants to build the lodges on fields in the green belt off Saltersley Lane.

The site forms part of Saltersley Hall Farm at Mobberley and is located to the north west of the farm house, a Grade II listed building, which is accessed from Burleyhurst Lane.

The application, which was first submitted to Cheshire East two years ago, is due to be considered by the northern planning committee on Wednesday.

It seeks permission to change the use of the land for the siting of 12 three-bed, 4.2m high lodges. They would have a pitched roof and walls clad in zinc and timber and an external raised timber deck.

In a report due to go the committee, the planning officer states: “The application proposals represent inappropriate development in the green belt.”

He says the development would also result in a substantial harmful impact upon the openness of the green belt and that ‘significant weight is placed on the location of the proposed development, which is considered to harm the setting of the listed building’.

The report acknowledges: “Significant weight is afforded to the economic benefits of the scheme with regards to job creation as a result of the proposed tourist accommodation, the short-term jobs that would be created during construction period and tourist spending in the area.

“Limited weight is afforded to both the social benefits and environmental benefits of the scheme which are the location of accommodation within the countryside and additional landscaping and planting.”

But it concludes: “The benefits identified are not deemed to clearly outweigh the combined harm to the green belt and the other harm identified.”

The meeting will take place at Macclesfield Town Hall (Image: Google)

Mobberley Parish Council has objected arguing: “The proposal is over development on the green belt, this will have a major impact on the openness of the green belt.”

Twenty five letters have been sent to Cheshire East from neighbours and local resident groups, who have listed more than 70 reasons why they oppose the scheme.

These include the local area does not have facilities to cope with more building; there is little difference between holiday lodges and bungalows; the loss of countryside; no very special circumstances to justify presumption against inappropriate development and the location is unsustainable so all journeys would need to be by car.

Cheshire East’s planning officer has recommended the application be refused on the grounds it would represent inappropriate development, which reduces openness and encroaches into the countryside; it would cause less than substantial harm to the significance and setting of the listed buildings and it would introduce urbanising features into the local area, which would not be mitigated by proposed landscaping.

He says the development would also have a significant adverse impact on great crested newts.

The northern planning committee meeting takes place at Macclesfield Town Hall at 10am on Wednesday, July 5.