Controversial plans for more than 1,500 new homes in Ellesmere Port’s countryside are recommended for approval.

The resubmitted outline application has been put forward at Sutton New Hall Farm, Ledsham Road, Little Sutton, by Redrow which has had an option on the site since 1995.

It includes up to 400sq m of retail floor space for a local shop, a new primary school, a community building, a new park, playing fields and other public open space, new allotments and new accesses and streets.

A package of improvements to nearby roads and public transport is included.

A total of 25% of the two, two and a half and three storey dwellings, almost 400 homes, would be affordable and the developers say they would be prepared to consider bungalows.

The ‘garden neighbourhood’ could take almost 20 years to build.

The issue is due to be decided at a meeting of the borough’s strategic planning committee in Chester on Thursday, December 5.

Councillors will grapple with a massive 140 page plus report drawn up by principal planning officer Paul Friston, formerly with Ellesmere Port and Neston Council.

The land has been safeguarded for development by two local plans prepared by the previous authority.

Ledsham and Manor ward councillor Gareth Anderson (Con), who says he has never voted for the development, is ‘aghast’ the plans will be decided ‘in a much smaller room away from Ellesmere Port’ than a previous application for 2,000 homes which was heard in the town.

Earlier in the summer, those plans were put forward for approval which was not accepted by councillors.

A month later a recommendation for refusal was agreed and has been appealed by Redrow.

The borough council raised concerns about new build in the open countryside, the loss of farmland and increased traffic.

Planners have now spelled out in detail why they believe the development should be approved.

At an earlier stage the Ledsham and Manor Action Group raised a petition with over 3,200 signatures.

The group has put in a series of detailed representations.

More than 150 individual objections have flooded in and one letter in support.

The meeting takes place in HQ in Chester.