DEVELOPERS have been given the go-ahead to ‘march all over the Cheshire countryside’ after permission was granted for up to 100 homes despite massive opposition from residents.

That is the view of one of those protesters, Michael George, in the wake of the decision taken by Cheshire West and Chester Council to allow the development by Congleton-based Fox Strategic Land and Property on land at the rear of Spring Hill on Tarporley’s outskirts.

The prospect of house building on the 11 acres of farmland between Nantwich Road and the Tarporley bypass led to more than 1,000 objections and a petition with almost 650 names.

Objectors argue the development does not meet local planning policies. They believe the homes would have a detrimental effect and would lead to increased traffic congestion.

At a meeting in the council’s HQ offices in Chester on Tuesday, the borough’s planning committee debated an appeal from the developers on the basis the council had not decided their application in the time period laid down.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr George suggested that in view of the weight of objection, approval would be ‘fundamentally against the principle of localism’, especially as an alternative brownfield site was available for development.

But after the decision had been taken, he said: “This is a clear signal that democracy and localism is dead in the rural communities of Cheshire.

“The flood gates are now open for development in any open countryside location in order to hit CWaC's housing targets.

“Tarporley and the other rural villages of Cheshire may now have to take an unlimited number of housing developments as CWaC has no policy in place to stop the developers marching over our countryside.”

Tarporley borough councillor Eveleigh Moore Dutton (Con) told the committee: “Tarporley is not only willing to take its fair share of the housing which is needed but has gone the extra mile. We have good reasons for saying this is the wrong site.”

But the committee heard the previous day an inspector had allowed a similar scheme put forward by the same developers elsewhere in the borough and had awarded full costs against the council as its ‘unreasonable behaviour’ had led them to incur considerable expense.

Councillors were told ‘sound planning policies’ had to be found if they wished to object.

None was forthcoming and the committee agreed on a 9-1 vote that permission would have to be granted after this had been moved ‘with a very heavy heart’ by Chester councillor Adrian Walmsley (Con).