Plans for 55 homes in Winterley have been deferred with one councillor saying the scheme is 'cramped, overdeveloped' and 'smacks a bit of greed on the part of the developer'.

Duchy Homes Ltd was given the go-ahead to build on the site off Crewe Road in 2021 by an inspector at appeal.

Yesterday (February 8th), members of Cheshire East's southern planning committee were considering the reserved matters application which deals with the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping of the scheme, which also includes 20 affordable homes.

None were happy with the garden space for the eight one-bedroom houses, which didn't meet the required minimum standards.

Cllr David Marren (Shavington, Ind) said: "We're talking about quality of life for people, so there could be two occupants of this particular property and you can get your bins in there and you can get a washing line and nothing else.

"I don't think it's good enough. Take one of the houses away to create a bit more space. I just think it's overdeveloped… We are cramming people in."

Councillors were also concerned the eight one-bedroom houses were too small and they didn't meet the size standards recently adopted under new planning policy.

Crewe councillor Laura Smith (Lab) said: "The size of some of these properties seems like we are just cramming people in."

Cllr Laura Smith

Cllr Sarah Pochin (Bunbury, Non-Grouped) pointed out some of the property types were 16sqm short and 'that's a significant amount of area for a very small house already'.

"I'm not at all against the principle of this development," said Cllr Pochin. "But I am really concerned about how much you're cramming in here and it just smacks a bit of greed on the part of the developer."

Cllr Sarah Pochin

She moved it be refused on the grounds 'it's cramped, it's overdeveloped and the standards aren't being met'.

But planning officer Daniel Evans said this was not a reason for the refusal because the policy relating to the size standards doesn't come into force until May.

Cllr Pochin insisted the committee considered the scheme to be cramped and overdeveloped

"Surely that's what this committee is for, to make sure that people are being given houses that meet a certain basic living standard…. some of these houses are too small. It's unacceptable," she said.

"So I still stand that I would like to refuse it. I accept what Mr Evans has said about that particular policy, but I would still like to try and find a way of saying this is overdeveloped, it's cramped, we need to find a way to improve it."

Planning officer Gareth Taylerson suggested deferral might be an option, to give the developer the opportunity to come back with a revised layout.

Willaston councillor Allen Gage (Con) said if deferral was on the table then he requested that the applicant might also deal with an issue raised by ward councillor Steve Edgar (Con) earlier about providing a walking connectivity to the other nearby Duchy development.

The committee voted unanimously to defer the application so the developer could look at increasing the garden sizes – and possibly room sizes in the smaller houses – to provide better living conditions for future occupiers, and to explore the connections to the northern site.