An application for 140 homes close to Ellesmere Port town centre has been withdrawn.
It was put forward for Barratt Homes and Barkin Developments on land adjacent to West Cheshire College on Regent Street by Jon Partington.
The development was due to have been considered by borough planners on Tuesday (October 11) at the request of Grange ward councillor Tony Sherlock (Lab).
Cllr Sherlock had raised concerns including a lack of affordable housing, traffic and parking and consultation.
Two previous applications involving up to 120 two, three and four bedroom homes with access via Sutton Way had approval but did not go ahead according to a report.
Most of the site, which contains rough grassland and broken concrete and asphalt, is designated as an open green area and was previously part of the West Cheshire College campus. There is a grassed earth mound around the perimeter.
The main vehicular access would have been provided off the college access road with a small number of homes reached directly off Flatt Lane.
No objections were received from a range of borough council services, subject to a financial contribution to affordable homes elsewhere in the town and the development was supported by regeneration officers and by the Ellesmere Port Development Board.
The board’s priorities include supporting quality housing together with transforming the heart of the town.
It commented ‘The board are very keen to see a start on site in this prominent location’ and suggested the scheme would help to raise confidence for both house builders and house buyers and help other sites locally to come forward.
Planners had one letter in support after notifying neighbours and an objection from the college on road safety grounds.
The homes would back the development of Ellesmere Port as a key employment location planners believed while the loss of the green space had previously been accepted as it did not score highly.
There were very little prospects of the site being returned to usable open space while the scheme had been carefully designed to accommodate the West Cheshire College rotunda building with a very large overprovision of informal amenity space.
The homes would help regenerate that part of Ellesmere Port and drive economic development and secure economic benefits.
The developers had offered £395,000 which would be put to affordable homes in the town. On-site affordable housing was the preferred option but there were ‘compelling reasons’ why an off-site contribution was appropriate. A boulevard would be included in the design and there would be tree planting.
The new build would incorporates feature buildings providing landmark properties across the scheme while there would be active urban frontages with Sutton Way and Flatt Lane although a 350m length of hedgerow would be removed.
Some of the dwellings adjacent to Sutton Way and the tennis courts would be likely to be affected by noise but this could be overcome.
Recommending approval, planners suggested significant weight should be given to given to the economic and regeneration benefits of the scheme. The council said, however, the application had been withdrawn.
