CLAIMS that a decision to approve a housing scheme was ‘fundamentally flawed’ have been rejected by Cheshire East Council.

The claim from resident Martyn Dobinson followed approval of a revised application for six houses at Bank House Farm in Middlewich Road, Holmes Chapel.

Mr Dobinson lives opposite the development site, and said he and many of his neighbours objected to the original application to demolish the dwelling at Bank House Farm and build seven executive homes.

Residents objected on numerous grounds, including speeding and heavy traffic on Middlewich Road and the scheme going against the Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Plan.

The application was rejected and a revised application submitted reducing the houses to six.

Mr Dobinson said much of what was stated by Cheshire East Council in approving the revised scheme contradicted that in the decision to refuse the original application.

He said: “The scheme would cause significant issues regarding amenity, highway safety, landscape, trees, ecology, flooding and drainage.

“All these arguments still stand, despite the minor tweaks to the original application. The decision to approve the revised application, and process generally, appears fundamentally flawed.

“There appears to be several discrepancies, variances and omissions between the officer’s reports on the original application and those that led to the approval decision.”

A Cheshire East Council spokesman said: “Following the initial refusal of planning consent a revised scheme was submitted with a reduced number of dwellings, plus other amendments to the design and layout.

“As explained to Holmes Chapel Parish Council, and a local resident, all planning policies, including the Holmes Chapel Neighbourhood Plan, were given due consideration before the revised scheme was finally approved.

“The reduction in the number of dwellings was considered sufficient to offset concerns and impacts connected to the previous application and addressed the council’s urban design concerns.

“The Cheshire East Council Local Plan Strategy and the former Congleton Borough Local Plan support the principle of new housing at this site, and as Holmes Chapel is not overpopulated with four-bedroom properties this scheme added to the mix of housing types in the village.

“Consideration of the scheme was, therefore, not ‘fundamentally flawed’, as claimed, and took account of all the relevant policy considerations alongside comments and representations.”