A DEVELOPER is getting ready to begin work on a controversial 215-home development on the south-eastern edge of Winsford.

Laurus Homes’ ‘Weaver Meadows’ development will bring a mix of two to five-bedroom homes, available for sale and rent, to Rilshaw Lane.

Work will being in May, with the Help to Buy equity loan scheme and shared ownership options also available to purchasers.

The development was approved last year, and is the latest from the joint venture between Trafford Housing Trust (THT), parent company of Laurus Homes, and London housing association L&Q.

Larry Gold, deputy chief executive of THT, said: “Winsford is a beautiful part of the country which offers wonderful opportunities, as many people want homes which allow them to easily access both urban centres such as Manchester, Liverpool, Crewe & Stoke and near the peacefulness of the countryside.

“The population of Winsford continues to expand, which is why the development at Winsford constitutes our largest development to date at 215 new homes in our joint venture with L&Q.

“We have made sure to accommodate the varying needs and desires of the diverse housing market in these growing and prosperous parts of the county by providing more affordable homes and homes available for affordable rent or on a shared ownership basis than required by the local authority.”

The proposal was first submitted in 2014 at the outline stage – when borough councils either reject or approve the principal of the development, but not the final design.

CWAC rejected the scheme, but this decision was overturned on appeal the following year, while a resubmission of the original planning application was also approved by CWAC after the Station Quarter Urban Extension plan had been developed.

A petition against the scheme in 2015 attracted 87 signatures, while 13 neighbours wrote to CWAC in opposition to the most recent planning application – with residents concerned about the development’s impact on wildlife, services and infrastructure, plus the loss of a rural location.