THE prospect of 28 homes being built at a former community infants school has been called in to the borough's planning committee.

The development is proposed by Morris Homes at The Ridings community infants on Rake Way, Saughall.

The school would be demolished.

Saughall and Mollington ward councillor Brian Crowe (Con) believes the development would be over intensive and detrimental to residential amenity.

It would fail to properly integrate market and affordable houses and would represent an attempt by the borough council to maximise the value of the site at the expense of local residents, he suggests.

Councillors are due to hear at a meeting of the committee on Tuesday (November 6) that 31 dwellings were originally proposed.

Consultations have been carried out with the local community.

The new build would see terraced, semi and detached properties.

Forty per cent of the scheme would be affordable.

Morris Homes would pay £63,163 towards education as the village primary school is over full.

Saughall Parish Council has raised objections including over development and narrow lanes in the green belt village being unsuitable for the additional traffic.

Trees would be lost and a remembrance garden at the rear of the school would not be retained.

Parish councillors say they would like to see acceptable development of the site that would fall in with the village’s requirements.

No objections have been raised by the highway authority although conservation officers and landscape specialists have expressed concerns.

The new build is supported by housing officers.

Residents have also objected raising a number of issues including the number of houses being 'crammed' onto the relatively small site and traffic.

They believe the school should be used to provide a community facility.

Planners argue the housing would make a 'small contribution' to increasing the supply of sites in the borough where there is a shortfall.

This 'weighs heavily' in favour of the development.

No firm proposals have come forward for community use and there are 'several strong arguments' for allowing residential development.

Planners accept the estate would not be in keeping with its surroundings.

'On balance', however, subject to agreement that very special circumstances exist to justify inappropriate development in the green belt, they feel permission should be granted with conditions due to the benefits.

The committee meets at 4pm on Tuesday at HQ in Chester.