PLANNING chiefs have approved proposals for a huge housing estate close to a £20 million link road near the town centre.

The development will be located on either side of the new Centre Park link road, which is due to be fully open to traffic soon.

Countryside Properties’ scheme comprises 513 properties – 413 houses and 100 apartments.

The site takes in land once occupied by Spectra Business Park in the north, the former Drive Time golf driving range to the south and land behind the Centre Park business park. Some of the homes will border the Mersey.

The scheme was passed by the development management committee during its virtual meeting on Wednesday.

It also includes the provision of public open space, a pedestrian route along the river and the laying out of road and footways with connections to and from the link road.

A total of 52 homes will be affordable housing.

Planning policies were highlighted in a report to the committee, with an obligation for this development setting out an expectation for 20 per cent affordable housing.

But a policy states a lower proportion may be considered acceptable where it can be demonstrated a development would otherwise not be financially viable.

Cllr Steve Wright (LAB – Bewsey and Whitecross) said: “I’m disappointed with the 10 per cent affordable housing.

Warrington Guardian:

Cllr Steve Wright

“We did say that the standards, we should stick to it – 10 per cent is way off where we should be.

“We don’t seem to put the effort into making sure that we get the affordable housing on the planning applications before they get to us.

“We’re a bit of a pushover, it seems to me.”

Cllr Tony McCarthy (LAB – Rixton and Woolston) said he was disappointed that there is only 10 per cent of affordable housing.

But he also highlighted some positives about the scheme, including the site being the ‘best use’ of the land.

He also believes it will deliver a boost to the town centre, which is in ‘desperate need’ of regeneration.

Cllr Bob Barr (LD – Lymm North and Thelwall) labelled the scheme as the ‘bulk dropping of wholesale housing’ in order to fill a 500-house target, which he described as enormously disappointing.

He also said he does not see a footpath along the edge of the river as ‘opening the Mersey up as a feature’.

He said: “So many of the things that we were promised about neighbourhood narratives and how we would be looking at the future of these areas are missing from this report.

“All it is, it’s a bulk request for 500 houses. I don’t object to the principle of putting 500 houses here, or 500 dwellings, but I think that what we’ve been offered is very poor.”

The application was approved subject to conditions and a section 106 agreement, as recommended by officers.