The Application Site

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The site is located on the eastern edge of Sandbach, within the urban settlement boundary of the town. As such there would be no extension of built development into the surrounding countryside as a result of the proposal.

The site is in a highly sustainable location, a short walk from the centre of the town to the west along Dingle Lane and via either Market Square or Scotch Common.

The site itself consists of an existing two-storey detached dwelling. The existing dwelling is currently vacant following a fire and has been subject to vandalism. As such the dwelling is in a poor state of repair. The proposed development would enable the vandalised building and vacant former water storage tanks to be removed. This would in turn provide an attractive residential cul-de-sac which would integrate into the surrounding residential area.

The site is located within a ‘Wildlife Corridor’ as identified in the Congleton Borough Local Plan. As such an ecology assessment will be submitted with the application. The site is also located within a ‘Protected Area of Open Space’ and is surrounded by public footpaths. However, there are no public footpaths which run through the site and there is no lawful public use of the site as open space. As such there would be no loss of public open space as a result of the development.

The land immediately to the north and west of the site consists of dwellings fronting onto Tiverton Close, Ravenscroft Close and Adlington Drive, a residential estate to the east of Sandbach town centre. The site also borders the A534 to the south east.

There is an identified shortage of housing within Cheshire East and the former Congleton Borough. The proposed redevelopment of the site would assist in fulfilling that identified need in a highly sustainable urban location. National and local planning policy is generally supportive of developments within existing defined settlement towns. Sandbach is identified as one such town in the Congleton Borough Local Plan.