PLANS for an affordable housing scheme in Northwich town centre look set to go ahead despite fears over highway safety.

Northwich Town Council and Weaver Vale MP Graham Evans have joined forces with a residents' group to fight proposals for land off Peter Street.

Adactus Housing has applied for full planning permission for 16 houses, two bungalows and a block of 21 apartments at the site, which lies between Manchester Road and Chesterway and was previously used for allotments.

The proposal will be discussed by Cheshire West and Chester Council's (CWAC) planning committee on Tuesday, September 1, and has been recommended for approval.

Northwich Town Council said this goes against a planning policy that protects open space and allotments, that the design of the development, particularly the apartment block, is out of keeping with the area and that access along Peter Street is difficult and proposals will impact on highway safety.

It also raised the issue of the emerging Northwich Neighbourhood Plan, which sets out how a former railway bed on the land could be used as a cycle-gateway to the town.

Mr Evans has raised objections about the land locked nature of the site, the lack of parking, unsympathetic building design, the high level of neighbour objection and the loss of a proposed gateway to the Northwich.

Residents from the Peter Street Action Group emphasise these objections, particularly highway safety, which has also been raised by CWAC's highways department.

The report to the planning committee states: "Overall the highways officer considers the proposal would create highway safety, operational and amenity problems along Peter Street and for this reason he would not support the application from a highways perspective in its current form."

But the conclusion to the report states: "Whilst concerns have been raised by the highways officer it is considered on balance that this would not amount to a severe impact, and in weighing the benefits of the proposal against the impact the proposal is considered to be acceptable."

Peter Gilbody, from the residents' group, said: "How can housing outweigh issues of safety on the highway?

"We're not talking about vehicle collisions but those that could involve pedestrians and children – God forbid a child gets knocked over, how could they hold their heads up high when their experts have said this?"

The meeting takes place at CWAC's Chester HQ at 4pm on Tuesday.