HALF a million pounds worth of proposed road safety improvements failed to win over councillors who threw out a major housing scheme.

A traffic lights-controlled junction was earmarked for the A556 Chester Road as part of Russell Homes’ scheme for 113 homes in Davenham.

The estate was earmarked for land at Hill Top Farm off Chester Road, which is close to the boundary with Kingsmead, and the site is bounded by Poors Wood to the north.

Cheshire West and Chester councillors were recommended by officers to approve the scheme as they said its benefits outweighed policy conflict in respect of residential development in open countryside.

However members of the strategic planning committee went against their advice, and refused the full application by six votes to three on Thursday.

It was rejected as being development in open countryside beyond the settlement boundaries of Davenham and Kingsmead, and contrary to the Cheshire West and Chester Local Plan and adopted Vale Royal Borough Local Plan.

The estate would have been served by an access off the A556, a dual carriageway with a 70 mph limit, opposite the junction with Hartford Road, which leads from Davenham.

The proposed new signal-controlled junction would have included Hartford Road and a new lower speed limit of 60mph, and Alison Freeman from planning consultants Emery Planning told the meeting the new junction would cost £500,000.

Councillor Jill Houlbrook said her main concern was the “very fast and dangerous” A556 which would border the proposed estate.

“Given that these properties would house families and children I have great concern it would still be dangerous even with traffic lights there,” she said.

“I would not be happy for a child or grandchild of mine to come out of this new development to try and cross that four-lane road, given where the crossing is going to be, because the visibility is very poor.”

Councillor Norman Wright had visited the site, and said “the traffic down there is horrendous.”

“Even though they can do 70 at the moment I would think some were doing 90 today as we were on site,” he said.

The scheme included a link through Poors Wood, which also sparked concern among councillors.

Visiting councillor Elton Watson was concerned about the impact of the scheme on the woodland, and said a much wider buffer was required.

Cllr Houlbrook said it seemed a “strange place” to create such a big development, which would lead to the linking of two villages and may lead to “the destruction of that ancient woodland because of the pathway through it.”

Local resident Graham Lewis told the meeting there was no need for the development, and he was concerned about the proposed access onto the A556.

“This access will further slow down the traffic on the bypass, and encourage drivers to drive through Hartford and Northwich,” he said.