Plans to deliver 'The Garden Village at Handforth' have moved a step closer today (Friday, 13th January).
The Garden Village at Handforth will create a bespoke new village that will include 1,500 new homes of which 30 per cent will be affordable, 5 per cent will be self-build and there will also be starter homes for young people, family homes, and 175 housing units for older people.
The scheme also includes a new 'all-through school', providing both primary and secondary education, with a community hall and sports pitches located alongside it as well as a children's nursery.
There will also be a village centre, with shops, restaurants, a hotel, and a village pub, along with up to 30 acres of employment such as studios and offices, as well as shared workspace facilities.
The village will have electric vehicle charging points and its own heat network, using sustainable energy.
Additionally, the scheme includes new footpaths and cycleways. a new wildflower grassland and playing fields, arts and heritage trails, community orchards and allotments, new trees and hedges, and new habitats which will be created by incorporating green roofs and green walls.
Today, at a meeting of Cheshire East Council's strategic planning board, committee members approved a hybrid planning application for the scheme, subject to conditions and legal agreements.
Councillor Nick Mannion, chair of Cheshire East Council's economy and growth committee, said: "This development has all the ingredients to create a truly wonderful new Cheshire village for the benefit of those living in, working in, and visiting the Garden Village for generations to come.
"Today's decision by members of the strategic planning board is a fantastic step forward for this development and officers can continue to progress and deliver an exemplar scheme.
"The Garden Village will not only provide a range of new homes, but will encourage healthier and more active lifestyles, and support biodiversity – delivering a net gain through planned on and off-site measures."
The development is one of 14 Government designated Garden Villages through Homes England's locally-led Garden Village Programme.
The council is the lead developer and owns around 70 per cent of the land allocated for the garden village, while the remaining 30 per cent is owned by third parties.
The site – allocated as a strategic development site in the council's adopted Local Plan Strategy – is around 300 acres and is east of the A34, south of the A555 and will be accessed via the A34 bypass.
Cllr Craig Browne, chair of Cheshire East Council's highways and transport committee, said: "The Garden Village also supports the council's long-term ambitions to increase active travel and will take the pressure off other towns and villages through investment in local infrastructure.
"As the lead developer, the council will provide the primary infrastructure to the site and the plans include making improvements to the A34, creating a new access road to the garden village, a park-and-ride facility near the train station, and new cycling and walking routes – including a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the A34."
An application for a park and ride scheme at Handforth railway station was previously approved.
A separate application relating to Dairy House Farm, which forms part of the Garden Village site, was previously approved and grants listed building consent for essential stabilisation and repair works of the former farmhouse and outbuildings.
