Cheshire East has refused plans to build 10 homes at Little Stanneylands in Wilmslow because of the impact on nearby listed buildings.

Jones Homes wants to demolish stables at the site on Stanneylands Road and build the houses together with garages, parking and gardens.

The site is surrounded by new and existing residential development and the council’s planning officers had recommended the scheme be approved.

But the northern planning committee decided on Wednesday, three of the proposed homes ‘would cause harm to the significance of the group of listed buildings adjacent’ and turned it down.

Ward councillor Don Stockton, speaking as a visiting councillor, urged the committee to reject the scheme.

“When it's gone, it's gone,” he said. “Little Stanneylands is part of our heritage. It was agreed previously with this council and the residents to create a wildlife corridor to retain access for badgers, foxes, hedgehogs and many species of birds.

“The site, as is, forms a proper setting for the buildings local people are seeking to preserve. We are referring to Grade II listed  buildings immediately adjacent to the development site.”

Wilmslow town councillor Jon Newell said: “Wilmslow has very few heritage assets. There's only one Grade I listed building and only 34 Grade II listed buildings and two of them are on this site.”

Planning officer Matthew Keen told the committee the site is not formally designated as a wildlife corridor.

Lewis Evans, representing the developer, said: “The entirety of the site is brownfield and is in the settlement boundary of Wilmslow, a key service centre.

“This is precisely the type of location where the local plan strategy directs housing to. You know, there's a pressing need for housing.”

 

Knutsford Guardian:

Cllr Tony Dean

 

But having heard from a previous objector that 900 houses had been allocated for Wilmslow and the current committed housing figure is 1,339, Cllr Tony Dean (Knutsford) asked: “How can these 10 houses be regarded as a public benefit, sufficient to outweigh harm to these historical assets? If there's going to be more houses than we wanted anyway, where is the public benefit?”

He said his concern was the listed buildings, Little Stanneylands and the cottage, and the encroachment of three dwellings.

Cllr Paul Findlow (Prestbury) agreed. “This is part of the history of Wilmslow, which should be, I think, preserved as a setting, should be respected,” he said.

Cllr Lesley Smetham (Gawsworth) told the committee: “I think the scheme is nicely laid out and, on another day, perhaps there might not be houses quite so close to the listed buildings, but is that enough for us to refuse this?”

Macclesfield councillor Nick Mannion said the land is a housing site and, at some point, is going to be developed.

He asked whether the application could be deferred so officers and the applicant could come back with a scheme which had less negative impact on the listed buildings.

But Cllr Dean proposed refusal.

“I think the best way to get a new scheme would be to refuse this one and they'll come back with a new scheme that would be more suitable,” he said.

Ten councillors voted to refuse the application and two abstained.