PLANS for more than 50 houses in fields around Davenham are set to be refused when they go before planners on Tuesday.

Developer Bloor Homes North West has proposed to build the 52-house estate at land off Green Lane and by the A556.

The plans have been recommended for refusal when they went before Cheshire West and Chester Council' s (CWAC) planning committee in Chester on Tuesday.

The proposal includes 12 two-bedroom, 16 three-bedroom, 18 four-bedroom and six five-bedroom houses.

There would be 16 affordable homes built as part of the scheme.

Cllr Helen Weltman, CWAC member for Davenham and Moulton, asked for the plans to come before the committee because of concerns about development in the countryside, the location of the affordable housing, noise from the A556, traffic and the impact on eduction.

Davenham Parish Council has objected to the scheme on the grounds of highway concerns, congestion, construction traffic fears, the impact on land of Significant Local Environmental Value and a lack of school places.

Similar objections were also raised by residents.

In their report, CWAC officers said there were benefits to the development, including the provision of market and affordable housing, employment opportunities and investment like the New Homes Bonus but said that these do not outweigh the harm that would be caused.

The conclusion to the report states: "Development of this greenfield land for residential purposes, extending beyond the established settlement boundary of Davenham on to designated countryside, and in a manner which significantly extends the build form of the village towards the A556, and eroding the environmental buffer and intrinsic value of the countryside provided by the absence of built development on the fields, fails to safeguard the character and individuality of the Davenham settlement.

"The development fails to minimise the loss of greenfield land, given the availability of other development opportunities in Northwich."

It adds: "There are substantial benefits attributable to the proposed residential development and the accessibility of the location to a range of services and facilities is acknowledged.

"However, the benefits do not outweigh the harm, and for the above reasons the development does not amount to sustainable development."