RESIDENTS on Legh Road and Goughs Lane are ‘angry’ at claims by developer Paul Henty over controversial plans for a building containing four apartments.

Goughs Lane resident Paul Henty apologised to his neighbours for allowing them to be misled by artist’s impressions of a proposed building which were not to scale.

Mr Henty is seeking planning approval from Cheshire East Council to create a two–storey building containing four apartments on land occupied by vacant bungalows which would be demolished.

The building would be built in the Legh Road Conservation Area, and the plans have sparked dozens of letters from residents for and against the plans, with more than three to one opposing the development because of its size and impact on the Conservation Area.

The application is also opposed by Knutsford Town Council.

Mr Henty told the Guardian: “I completely agree with the neighbours who objected. In the artist’s impression it does look too big. For allowing my neighbours to be misled by these pictures I apologise. New aerial photographs are being taken and new computer–generated pictures will be sent to the Guardian – this time they will be to scale.”

He countered the suggestion that the proposed building was bigger than Booths Hall, and said there was ‘a desperate shortage’ of ‘Last Homes’ in Knutsford.

Tony Evans from Astley Close said there were ‘quite a number of unhappy and angry neighbours’ on Legh Road and Goughs Lane who questioned the claims made by Mr Henty.

He said: “Our property has a common boundary with the two plots and is one of a number of properties seriously affected.”

He said the application included a computer-generated picture of what the proposed building would look like.

He said: “I'm sure that picture would have been approved by the developer before it was submitted to Cheshire East, so I fail to understand why new pictures are needed.

“The plans submitted in the application are all accurate in terms of the scale, footprint, height and position of the proposed building.

“The proposed building is larger than Booths Hall; this may be checked by using the Cheshire East Interactive plan. It is stated there is a desperate shortage of ‘last homes’ in Knutsford. I would question that this proposal could be categorised as ‘last homes’.”