PLANNING chiefs have given the green light to plans for a huge new housing development.

The Roften Works scheme includes up to 265 homes and a 72 bed ca re home together with a nature conservation area and children’s play spaces.

Members of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s strategic planning committee unanimously voted for the outline plan, which includes 68 affordable homes.

They also unanimously supported a separate planning application for the demolition of Hooton Village Memorial Hall and the building of a new community hall on its current site as part of the overall scheme.

The proposal, by owners Burford Delta Limited, will now be sent to the Secretary of State to consider whether it should be called in for a public inquiry because the project is a departure from the Ellesmere Port and Neston Local Plan.

Councillors heard if given approval the developer would fund improvements to the junction of the A41 and Hooton Road, and improvements would be made to the existing shop in Hooton Station to increase the range of goods sold.

Chairman and local Willaston and Thornton councillor Myles Hogg said: “This application has merits and demerits.

“In an ideal world this site would have been decontaminated, cleaned up and turned into a light industrial park, employing hundreds of people.

“That dream was not to be so we must decide whether this application is acceptable. Is the site sustainable? Can the local highways cope? Are medical, shopping and other facilities adequate? Can primary schools accommodate the extra children this development will bring?”

An officer told councillors a financial contribution from the developer could result in the expansion of Childer Thornton Primary School to enable the school to accommodate additional primary age pupils moving into the development.

Backing the scheme, Cllr Angela Claydon, said: “When we were doing the local plan for Ellesmere Port during the time of Ellesmere Port and Neston Council we had some robust debates because at the time I thought having housing was a better option than the development park.

“They tried hard to market it, it was called Artillery Park, and nothing happened.
“As you have seen during our site visit it is an absolute tip and has been for donkey’s years and it is an eyesore.

“It does not look like green belt at all. It looks like an absolute mess.

“I support this. It is a good way of cleaning up an eyesore.”