The future of a zoo near Holmes Chapel hangs in the balance after animal rights campaigners this week won a legal challenge to have the planning permission overturned.

This means Cheshire East Council will have to consider the application again.

In July, the southern planning committee unanimously approved the application from Zoo2U for the zoo to be based on land at The Orchards Farm (Bidlea Dairy) on Twemlow Lane.

At that meeting, committee vice chair Andrew Kolker (Dane Valley, Con) had said: "To be brutally honest, I can't think of a better place to put a zoo like this."

Cllr Andrew Kolker. (Photo: Cheshire East)

The decision went against the council's planning officers' recommendation to refuse the proposal.

Initially the officers had argued the approval was a 'significant departure from policy' so the application should be referred up to its strategic planning board.

Two days later it was announced the southern planning committee's decision to approve the application stood and the zoo could be located at The Orchards Farm.

The zoo is located at The Orchards Farm. (Photo: Nub News)

Ward councillor Russell Chadwick had told the Local Democracy Reporting Service at the time: "Common sense has prevailed."

This week Freedom for Animals, with assistance from law firm Advocates for Animals, successfully challenged the decision.

A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council told the LDRS today: "Following a legal challenge to the decision made at Orchards Farm on Twemlow Lane in Goostrey, the council has accepted it did not provide adequate reasons to approve the planning application.

"The decision is therefore quashed, and the application will now be reconsidered."

In a press release, Dr Andrew Kelly, director of Freedom for Animals, said: "It is our position that this zoo and zoos in general cannot be justified on animal welfare grounds.

"Thanks to Advocates for Animals the decision taken by Cheshire East Council has now been quashed.

"Local authorities must take all factors into account when considering planning applications for new zoos and must ensure that any decision taken is lawful.

"We call on all local authorities to reject planning applications for any new zoos in the future."