CAMPAIGNERS say a developer should withdraw the existing outline planning application for the Tatton Bluebell Village and submit a new full scheme so they can understand what is actually proposed.

They were speaking after a public meeting in Knutsford, which had been organised by Tatton Group and Fisher German, to explain their latest proposals for the mixed-use development off Manchester Road at Knutsford.

Residents are angry, not only because they oppose the scheme itself, but because of the way it has been handled by both the applicant and council - and because of the timescale.

The original application was submitted by the Tatton Estate in 2018.

In February 2019 the council’s strategic planning board approved an amended scheme for a maximum of 275 new homes, made up of a care home and no more than 250 houses. The scheme also includes shops.

That was subject to the completion of a legal agreement – but that was never fully agreed so the application did not get final approval.

Campaigners say there have been changes since then, the scheme is scant on detail as it is only in outline so they don’t know what is now proposed.

Speaking after last week’s public meeting, Stephen Burrows, of the North Knutsford Community Group told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The vast majority of attendees at the meeting are totally opposed to the plans for Bluebell Village. Nobody wants it without infrastructure in place.”

He added: “We said to them, ‘we don't actually know what it is you're planning because it's all under reserved matters. You need to put in place a full planning application so that people understand what it is you're planning, what you're actually applying for.”

Mr Burrows said residents are also concerned with proposed highways measures.

He added: “The retailers were saying Knutsford’s dying in terms of trade because of parking and traffic, so to build some more shops further out is not going to really help much.”

Annette McDonald, deputy managing director of Tatton Group, told the LDRS this week the public open meeting had been called to provide an update on the Bluebell Village outline planning application and to clarify any misconceptions.

The new description of the scheme, as emailed to the LDRS, is an outline application - with all matters reserved for future approval - for a residential-led development, including a local/neighbourhood centre comprising of retail/commercial, residential and community uses and a residential care home, alongside any associated recreational space, car parking, cycle parking, landscaping, and other works for all proposed uses.

Ms McDonald said: “We explained [at the meeting] all of the changes that had been made to the application since the original submission.

“The new changes are to update the description of development in line with the previous decision.

"The landscape plan has been updated to include larger areas of onsite open space, cycle connectivity and SUDs (Sustainable Urban Drainage).  The updated information has been sent to the council and should be uploaded to the planning portal imminently.”

The application was scheduled to be on the agenda of this month’s meeting of the strategic planning board.

But Ms McDonald said that will not now happen in December because no decision had come forward from the council’s highways department on the King Edwards Road scheme.

She added: “We are considering the comments and concerns of the Knutsford residents that attended the [public] meeting and seeking to engage further with the relevant community groups and individuals. We will update on the next steps in due course.”