COUNCILLORS have given the go-ahead for 138 new homes to be built on a derelict site off Wharton Road, in Winsford.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planning committee unanimously gave Engie Regeneration the green light for the scheme – including 42 affordable homes – on land between Smokehall Lane and Deakins Road.

It is the second scheme to be approved near Wharton Road in the past fortnight, after CWAC’s planning committee gave permission for 205 affordable homes off West Drive on January 23.

Officers recommended the scheme for approval ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, while Winsford Town Council had supported the plans and no objections were lodged with CWAC.

Matt Grant, representing Engie, told the committee: “From the inception of the project, Engie and the council have worked closely together to ensure that the proposals respond positively to the constraints associated with the immediate surroundings.

“This extensive process of engagement has ensured that all the relevant tests have been met and that an environment will be created where residents will feel completely removed from the site’s industrial and railway boundaries.

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“Overall, the proposals present an opportunity to revitalise a currently vacant site with quality and affordable houses that will meet the needs of the local community.”

The scheme will include a mix of properties from one-bedroom ‘cottage apartments’ to four-bedroom houses, while public open space will also being included.

It will be accessed from Wharton Road, which will be widened at the junction to include a new right-turn lane, while planting and sound buffers will help protect residents from the noise of the nearby railway line and surrounding industrial sites.

The brownfield site was included for development in Winsford’s neighbourhood plan – and Cllr Tom Blackmore, Labour member for Over and Verdin, was pleased to see the plans come forward.

“This piece of land has been there for many years and not been contributing anything to Winsford,” he said.

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Cllr Peter Rooney, Labour, praised the scheme’s layout and green space, while Cllr Jill Houlbrook, Conservative, said she was ‘glad to hear’ the development would include one-bedroom homes that older residents could downsize to.

Engie will contribute £14,188 towards highways improvements and £8,578 towards biodiversity mitigation as part of the scheme.

A further appraisal will assess if the developer can cough up and more cash for public open space provision and biodiversity at a later stage.