BLUEPRINTS including an 'unacceptable' amount of affordable housing units have been refused.

Quorum Development Management and Seddon Homes wanted to build 79 properties, on land bounded by Delta Crescent, Westbrook Crescent and Westbrook Way.

The application, which came before the development management committee on Wednesday, was recommended for approval subject to a section 106 agreement.

It failed to comply with planning policy as it proposed eight affordable housing units, which amounts to 10 per cent – 20 per cent less than the 'required' amount.

However, during Wednesday's meeting, the council's planning team told committee members that policy also states 'we won't always get a policy-compliant scheme'.

And members were told to 'bear in mind' if a housing scheme is not 'profitable', then the site 'maybe doesn't come forward at all'.

Committee member Cllr Joan Grime labelled the amount of affordable housing in the application as 'just not acceptable'.

She said: "This is a major part of our policy – it is a really important thing for the people of Warrington and I do not think we can accept a plan that is going to reduce provision of affordable homes from 24 to eight.

"That is just a massive cut, I don't see how we can really consider it."

Fellow committee member Cllr David Keane believed the proposed amenity space 'was on the really low end'.

He added: "There is not real amenity at the centre of the estate, as you would expect in good design principles, to actually allow community interaction."

The applicant had submitted an independently assessed viability appraisal, which demonstrated the site would be 'unviable' with the full amount of affordable housing.

In the design and access statement, application agent NJL Consulting highlighted the 'viability constraints'.

It added: "All dwellings benefit from private amenity space to the rear of each property.

"Gardens are positioned to ensure that they are not overlooked and provide usable amenity space for residents."

The plans were refused because of the shortage of affordable housing, insufficient amenity space and a failure to provide the required contributions.