DEVELOPERS looking to build 33 homes in Winnington Avenue say there is no future on the site for business use.

The proposal to demolish the cluster of small business units – opposite Jubilee Field – is a resubmission of an identical application which was rejected last May by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Planning officers at CWAC said the site was a ‘viable’ employment location due to the fact it was occupied, and that demolition ‘would affect the range, choice and quality of employment sites available to meet future needs’.

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But the new proposal details the failed attempts to market the site for business use – adding that none of the current occupiers ‘have shown any interest’ in remaining at the site.

Supporting information shows that there has been no interest whatsoever in the units since January, which the applicant says demonstrates the need for a change of use to residential.

Northwich Guardian:

Permission is being sought to clear the site and make way for a 33-home development, made up of two- to four-bedroom houses – a mix of terraced and semi-detached of two and three storeys.

A planning statement said: “A number of applications have been submitted and approved which will continue to change the locality from historically an area of light industry and railway infrastructure to an area increasingly dominated by residential units.

Northwich Guardian:

“This has been kickstarted by the approval and subsequent delivery of the Winnington Urban Village and will be further encouraged by the redevelopment of the former ICI works, allocated for redevelopment in the emerging local plan

“This site provides the opportunity to bring an underutilised site into another use which will contribute to the regeneration of Northwich.”

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It added: “None of the current occupiers … have shown any interest in re-letting these premises. As a result the premises will all be empty by the end of 2019.”

The application also cited a building condition survey report, saying that the 1930s structures are nearing the ‘end of their useful life’.

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The application is for outline planning permission, meaning the principle of residential development. Should this be given the green light, further details would be submitted in a reserved matters application at a later date.