Cass Associates has recently been successful in securing planning permission for a key housing development on the edge of Culcheth following a public inquiry.

Graham Trewhella, Planning Partner, was the sole professional witness and acted on behalf of Redrow Homes Ltd (Lancashire Division).

The new housing will effectively complete the redevelopment of the site of the former Newchurch Hospital.  For many years the land in question was constrained by its proximity to a hazardous installation.  At the public inquiry we demonstrated that this constraint could be overcome through an appropriately worded planning obligation. We also fully addressed the Council’s concern about the loss of an area of land which is open and could have amenity value.

In granting planning permission the Inspector concludes that:

‘… analysis of what public open space exists within the Newchurch estate suggests that in terms of extent there is no actual deficiency when judged against present applied standards … in terms of the locational aspects of housing development I see no fundamental conflict with relevant policies of the emerging Local Plan Core Strategy’.