Assurances over viability of proposed Handforth Garden Village

The proposal, for the 300 acre site east of the A34 and south of A555, is for a bespoke new village that will include 1,500 new homes and extensive ‘green infrastructure’.

It will also include a new school, up to 30 acres of employment land creating local jobs, a village centre with shops, restaurants, a hotel, and a village pub, new footpaths and cycleways, up to 175 housing units for older people who need care, and a children’s nursery.

The strategic planning board resolved to grant planning permission for the scheme, subject to conditions and the completion of a legal agreement, at the beginning of this year.

During an update on the scheme on Tuesday (September 12), Peter Skates, Cheshire East’s acting executive director place, told the economy and growth committee: “Indications are the garden village will ultimately be financially viable and cash-positive for the council.”

But, because the council is the lead developer and owns around 70 per cent of the land, Cllr Chris O’Leary (Sutton, Con) wanted assurances about risk management, particularly as some councils are facing financial difficulties because of investment decisions.

Cllr Chris O'Leary (Image: Cheshire East Council)“I would appreciate being advised about what the process is and when we, as councillors, get notified about risks arising,” he said.

Mr Skates said a further report would be going back to the committee in either December or January and ‘within that we’ll be able to demonstrate the business case and a lot more detail around the value and the costs around the development’.

Committee chair Mark Goldsmith (Wilmslow, Con) added the project was being conducted with the full support and cooperation of government agencies such as Homes England, ‘which are providing a lot of funding as well’.

Cllr Mark Goldsmith (Image: Cheshire East Council)“We’re not doing this in isolation, we’re not being speculative in terms of some of the other councils’ developments that they’ve undertaken, this is in full openness and support and backing from central government as well,” he said.

Cllr Patrick Redstone (Odd Rode, Con) said the report stated the project would enhance the environment, tackle the climate emergency, and drive sustainable development. He wanted to know how.

Head of economic development Charles Jarvis said: “The key principles of a garden village is it’s a sustainable community and therefore the buildings are sustainable…and it’s a sustainable place for people to live. So there’s employment opportunities, there’s leisure facilities, there’s schools and other such infrastructure that you’d expect to see within a village and therefore it becomes sustainable.

“In addition to that there are a number of on-site and off-site mitigations that are taking place to increase the biodiversity.”

He added: “From 2025 the installation of gas boilers on new properties will not be allowed and we’ve actually got funding from central government to enable us to both build a business case and then, if that business case is successful, to implement a heat network which will then feed the buildings and houses.”

The committee agreed to nominate members to sit on the garden village advisory group and noted that a further report will be presented to councillors once the ongoing viability and business case work is completed, to seek authority for the next stage of the project.

The scheme is also due to be discussed again at next week’s meeting of the strategic planning board when certain legal issues around S106 agreements will be looked at.