Homes England has outlined plans to build up to 250 houses on a greenfield site on the outskirts of Halton.
The national homes agency has applied to install a mix of two, three and four-bed properties at the 17-hectare Sandymoor South plot in east Runcorn. Outline permission is being sought, meaning further specific details will be confirmed later with further approval required from Halton Borough Council.
A design and access statement (DAS) produced by Barton Willmore consultants and Homes England said the project is part of the longer-term expansion of Sandymoor and will produce a "high quality residential development". Sandymoor South’s housing blueprints have been developed alongside the plans for 600 homes on the neighbouring Wharford Farm site, which is to be subject of a similar upcoming application.
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The DAS said the Sandymoor South plot is “heavily vegetated with strong tree and shrub planting along the western boundary with the canal”.
An ecological assessment found the site “comprises semi-improved grassland, hedgerows, scrub, broadleaved woodland, ponds and Sandymoor Brook”, which support “a range of amphibians, birds, mammals, and invertebrates” including 39 species of bird.
The DAS said breeding populations of great crested newt, smooth newt, common toad and common frog are present on site, with access to form ponds forming a newt reserve created by Homes England as habitat mitigation.
Water voles used to be present along Sandymoor Brook, but were now absent, with American mink “most likely” to blame for their demise, as described in the document.
Of the 166 trees at Sandymoor South, the design statement said “concerted efforts” should be made to keep the 69 category “A and B” quality trees on site, while 82 category C trees will be protected where possible but could be chopped down where they “present a constraint to development” alongside five defective category U trees.
Artist's impressions in the statement appear to show a substantial part of the plot retained with greenery including trees, open space and gardens.
Vehicle access is to be via a “new bridge” from Windmill Hill Avenue East and Walsingham Drive.
The location of the bridge on the plan appears to match an existing crossing as viewed on Google maps albeit blocked presently by a barrier from the main highway as observed when last updated in May this year.
New “active travel” - i.e. for pedestrians and cyclists - are to be provided if the plans go ahead.
A flood risk report said culvert upgrades will be needed to mitigate flood risk associated with Sandymoor Brook, while Keckwick Brook “does not pose a flood risk”.
Despite being a greenfield site, the plot was previously classed as Green Belt and released for housing in the borough’s most recent Delivery and Allocations Local Plan.
Homes England has previously held a consultation over the Sandymoor South and Wharford Farm developments.
In the conclusion to its DAS, Barton Willmore wrote: “In bringing forward plans for the site, Barton Willmore and the supporting technical team followed the council’s development principles and parameters, as well as best design practice to ensure the proposed development will establish an attractive new neighbourhood which compliments (SIC) its landscape and townscape context.
“The design approach presented through this document has been developed through engagement with Halton Borough Council and key stakeholders.
“We are grateful to the council and the community for their input and technical advice, and to all those who took the time to participate in the public consultation and submit feedback on the draft plans.
“The feedback received has informed the development proposals submitted as part of this application.”
However, the Sandymoor South and Wharford Farm plans have proven controversial.
In September last year, Mike Amesbury, Labour MP for Weaver Vale and the then-shadow housing minister, who rued the loss of greenery and habitat while accusing Homes England of “working hand in glove with developers to achieve quick wins and big profits for shareholders but at the expense of our precious green space”.
Mr Amesbury said this was taking place despite “run-down” areas “crying out for regeneration”.
The area's then Green councillor Andrew Dyer also criticised the proposals and produced a petition opposing the loss of green space, which was signed more than 1,600 times.
Mr Dyer said the development would "remove some of the last beautiful green space in the area, with tremendous biodiversity and wildlife present, when there are other brownfield areas in Halton that should be developed before any more green space is lost".
Commenting on the wider Sandymoor South and Wharford Farm proposals in December, a Homes England spokeswoman said: "As the Government’s housing delivery agency, our role is to ensure more people in England have access to homes in well-designed places.
"That’s why we are working closely with Halton Borough Council to deliver its Local Plan, building on our successful delivery of homes and infrastructure in Sandymoor to date.
"We are proposing up to 850 new high quality homes, including up to 120 affordable homes."
She added: “These sites have long been identified for housing, forming allocations in the adopted Halton Local Plan since 2005.
"Under our plans, the scheme will create local jobs and provide infrastructure such as new roads and generous green spaces.
"We are consulting on our proposals and will continue to engage with the community, local authorities and other partners."
Residents have until December 6 to comment on the Sandymoor South proposals with Halton Council aiming to decide the matter by around January 16.
The plans are part of the ongoing expansion of Sandymoor and Daresbury.
A 2013 core strategy published by the council said both areas were each expected to expand by about 1,400 homes in coming years, totalling 2,864 properties by 2028, plus local centres.
This was superseded this year by the DALP, which sets out planning policy in the borough to 2037 but makes no direct reference to the number of properties anticipated.
The DALP said aspirations to develop Sandymoor into a residential neighbourhood date back to the Runcorn Development Corporation’s Runcorn New Town Masterplan, published in 1967, but were not realised during the intervening period.
Sandymoor South’s housing designation was set out by the council’s “Sandymoor Supplementary Planning Document” in 2009.
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