PLANS to build hundreds of new homes in Northwich have been given the green light.

Cheshire West and Chester's Planning Committee rubber-stamped proposals for 380 new homes on part of the old Wade Works site when it met on Tuesday.

At the meeting, local councillors raised concerns over traffic congestion, with planning officers agreeing to look at bringing forward stringent conditions for highways improvements before any new homes are occupied.

Nuvu Development Ltd, which is owned by social housing provider Your Housing Group, lodged plans for a development off Hargreaves Road on land between Bowden Drive and Griffiths Park.

The proposals were originally for 395 properties but have been reduced. They would include a mix of housing types and tenures from one bed flats to four bedroom homes, with up to 70 per cent being classed as affordable.

Speaking on behalf of the applicant, planning consultant Doug Hann told the meeting:  “The site is a long allocated site in the local plan, it’s a brownfield site which is in need of regeneration and the applicant is in the process of regenerating and remediating the site, cleaning it up ready for redevelopment.

"The scheme brings forward 380 much-needed homes in the area, with 70 per cent of them being affordable homes spit between affordable rent, social rent, rent to buy and shared ownership and the private market homes will be for rent and for sale, so it will create a really mixed community of people and meet a lot of needs.”

The 13.4 hectare site is a mix of greenfield and brownfield land. The eastern part was taken up by the former ICI Wade Works site. The western side of the site, accessed off Hargreaves Road, was historically a brickworks but was now mostly covered by grassland. An area adjacent to James Street was previously used as allotments.

Cllr Andrew Cooper (Lab), speaking on behalf of Northwich Witton Labour Councillor Sam Naylor, who could not make the meeting, said: “With a scheme of this size it has its pros and it has its cons.

“It’s good to see a scheme coming forward that will address this industrial legacy and make the site safe, as well as providing a significant increase in Northwich’s social housing stock and properties available for shared ownership.”

He added: “As both Rudheath Parish Council and Northwich Town Council have commented, Middlewich Road is extremely congested at peak times.

“I would be grateful if the committee would amend the conditions on the report that the junction improvements at Middlewich Road and Hargreaves Road, relocation of the bus stop, and footway and cycle way improvements are completed before the first dwelling is occupied."

He also raised concerns about the proximity of some of the proposed homes near the waste transfer station on Griffiths Park Industrial Estate and said a row of trees there had been removed. 

He urged the committee to ask for better screening between the homes and the waste site.

His concerns were echoed by committee member Charles Fifield and planning officers said the requirement to bring forward the improvements would probably be included anyway and that they would be 'looked at' again.

The scheme was passed with 10 voting in favour and one against.