Cheshire West: Plan for new homes at former fish farm refused

Davenham Fisheries Depot, just south of the A556, operated until 2011 as a National Rivers Authority fish farm, where fish were bred to restock depleted rivers.  

Owners of the 4.5-acre site acquired the land - which prior to being a fish farm was also a Northwest Water sewage treatment works - in August 2011, and have since been using the exisiting buildings as a commercial storage facility. 

And this week Cheshire West and Chester Council rejected an application for ‘permission in principle’ to build five homes on the site off Shipbrook Road.

Concerns were also raised about the site's distance from services and facilities as well as the 'unacceptable' noise impact for future occupants due to its proximity to the A556. 

The decision notice said: "The proposed development of previously developed land, would not be within reasonable walking distance of local services and facilities along a safe route and itself has poor access to public transport.

"Furthermore, by virtue of the scale and design of the development proposed, would have an urbanising effect on, and would be harmful, to the character and appearance of the countryside.

"The development would not be readily accessible to services and facilities, employment and would not have good connections to public transport and would be primarily reliant on the use of private motor vehicles.

Davenham Fisheries Depot (Image: Google)

"Consequently, the proposed development would fail to promote sustainable communities and would represent an unsustainable form of development having regard to the location of the site."

A design and access statement, prepared by OS Planning and Development as part of the application, said: "A key part of achieving sustainable development is to enable access for residents to a range of local facilities without placing a reliance on the use of the private car.

"The site is comfortably and safely within walking distance to the various local amenities founding within the settlement of Davenham.

"The proposal will not appear crammed or over develop the site.

"It has been designed to formulate a bespoke development that allows sufficient interface distances, car and cycle parking provision together with adequate external storage space for bins and recycling; as well as sufficient private amenity space, which would include rear gardens that are at least equal to the ground floor footprint of the dwellings.

"The site will also retain and landscape more than 50 per cent of the site to protect the heritage and openness of the former fishers. It is therefore concluded the proposed amount of development is acceptable."

The applicant can appeal the decision to the Secretary of State.