Land at Chester Road, Hartford
Proposed Residential Development
Background.
The Site
The site is sustainably located at the western edge of Hartford/Northwich and is well enclosed by Chester Road to the south, Littledales Lane to the west and railway lines to the north and east. The site is a 34-hectare land parcel which currently comprises agricultural land.
The site is not unduly constrained by its physical surroundings – with the site’s topography being relatively flat and suitable for residential dwellings. The site is also located within a residential context – with land to the immediate south comprising residential development. The site represents a logical extension to round off the existing settlement boundary of Northwich at its south-western extent.
Site Sustainability
The site benefits from an excellent location in relation to public transport and existing local facilities. As shown on the Facilities and Services plan:
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The site benefits from excellent rail connections, with Hartford Railway Station located within 400m of the site. Greenbank Railway Station is also located 2km from the site. Hartford Railway Station provides services to Liverpool Lime Street and Birmingham New Street which are each available every hour. Greenbank Railway Station provides services to Chester and Altrincham which are also available every hour.
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A number of bus stops are also located within a 400m radius of the site, along Chester Road, and accessible within a 5-minute walk. The nearest bus stops (Heyes Park) are located along Chester Road to the south of the site. The number 2 service operates at these stops and provides direct access to Northwich and Chester at an hourly operational frequency.
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A variety of other facilities are also located within a 1,200m radius of the site within Hartford, including a primary school, a pharmacy, local convenience store and other shops which can be accessed by pedestrians and cyclists.
Planning Context
Cheshire West & Chester Council has a significant housing land supply shortfall, due to changes in housing requirements set by national government. The Council can only demonstrate 1.89 years supply of housing land – with a requirement to deliver a minimum of 5 years supply. This means that additional, suitable housing sites must come forward to address the substantial housing supply shortfall – as required by planning policy.
The Chester Road, Hartford site is a highly suitable and sustainable housing site, being located directly adjacent to the existing settlement boundary of Northwich – which is identified at the top of the settlement hierarchy in the adopted Local Plan. This is reflective of the size of the settlement and its ability to accommodate additional levels of growth, due to existing infrastructure and local amenities.
The site is located within the Green Belt. However, the Site meets the Grey Belt tests outlined in the national planning policy
framework – which supports an immediate planning application on site to help address the significant housing shortfall facing the Borough. As part of Grey Belt requirements, the proposals will deliver 45% affordable housing provision on site – which is a significant benefit of the scheme.
The development proposals on Grey Belt land will help to deliver the Government’s ongoing commitment to significantly boost the supply of housing and to address the chronic housing crisis.