A developer who was refused permission to build an apartment block on land originally earmarked for a medical centre has applied to build five houses on the site.

Vistry Homes last year ditched plans for a medical centre as part of the 245-home Hazelmere development off Crewe Road, sparking outrage among some residents who said they had bought their houses because of the proposed health facility.

A proposal for 17 flats on the medical centre land was refused by Cheshire East in September and now the developer has applied for permission to build three detached and two semi-detached houses instead, including two affordable.

Cheshire East's planning officers have recommended the application be approved.

But it has been called in by Haslington councillor Steve Edgar (Con) so it will be decided by the southern planning committee next week instead of by planning officers under delegated authority.

Cllr Steve Edgar (Photo: Cheshire East Council)

In his call-in letter, Cllr Edgar questioned the parking provision and garage size proposal and whether the scheme included plans solar panels and heat pumps.

He also asked if retirement bungalows could be built instead.

And he asked: "What is being planned to support the local community to help replace the loss of the medical centre?"

Cllr Edgar told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week that, as of last week, the layout signage boards on the Hazlemere development still included the medical centre on the plans.

"A number of people told me they bought their homes because of the medical centre," he said.

Haslington Parish Council has objected to the application for many of the same reasons as Cllr Edgar, and argued the site should be used as a medical centre or for local community use.

With regard to the proposal itself, the parish council says the properties are 'too tightly bunched' and, 'if one property was to be removed, then the site would become easier to develop'.

It adds: "If permission is granted then we would like to see bungalows allowed as currently out of 250 new build properties only two are bungalows and there is a local need for an increase in these numbers."

Nine residents have also sent letters of objection to the council.

Cheshire East's planning officer has recommended the application be approved and in a report due to go to the planning committee next week, states: "The wider site has an extant planning permission for residential development which is currently being built out. The site is within a settlement boundary where such housing development as this is acceptable in principle subject to material considerations."

The report adds: "There is no mechanism which can be used to require the provision of a medical centre or community use."

The southern planning committee meeting takes place next Wednesday (April 5th) at 10am at Crewe Municipal Buildings.