Cheadle homes could be demolished in planning row

Residents could see their new homes flattened if council bosses refuse to give the developer retrospective planning permission.

Persimmon Homes built 125 homes on land at Cheadle, in Staffordshire, and raised the ground level of the estate by 2.4 metres to make the site flat.

Neighbours claim some of the homes at Pottery Gardens are blocking sunlight.

The developer said it was seeking "non-material amendments" to its application to keep the homes as they are.

If permission is refused, some of those living on the estate, off Froghall Road, could see their properties flattened, the chairman of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's planning committee warned.

Planners have deferred a decision so they can speak to residents. It is understood that eight of the 125 properties are affected, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The authority's lawyers have also warned the homes could have "zero value" on the open market as they were sold without proper planning permission.

Residents in nearby Ness Grove and Froghall Road first complained to the council in October 2021, according to homeowner Tracy Milward.

She described the properties as "overbearing" and claimed they blocked sunlight in their gardens.

"This development has been built in breach of the planning application submitted. They have built too high, and too close to the surrounding properties.

"Consequently ours, and many of our neighbours' properties, are now dwarfed and dominated by this unsightly development."

She said the council would effectively be giving the developer "carte blanche" if they were given the go-ahead.

Cheadle town councillor Paulette Upton agreed, and added: "The plain fact is the developers have blatantly breached the planning permission and we seem to have allowed that to happen.

"Somebody needs to take accountability for this - it sends a shocking message to other developers that they can come to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, put in a planning application and do what the hell they like."

Persimmon, which has outline planning for a further 135 homes on nearby land, said planning permission was granted by the council in December 2020.

But legal advisor Justin Price-Jones told a meeting of the planning committee houses had been sold without planning permission and therefore had "absolutely zero value on the market, to my mind at least".

He said there were potentially "very serious consequences" for people living in them if councillors decided to refuse the application.

He added: "Persimmon would have known when they sold it that they didn't have planning permission. I imagine there's a lot of people in this equation who don't know how dire their situation is."

Committee chairman, Councillor Stephen Ellis said it was the worst situation he had been put in during his two decades dealing with planning decisions, and criticised the council's planning department for not following up on complaints.

He said: "It really is an unacceptable situation to be in - to have a committee consider that your brand new house - your home and your asset - could be flattened, it must be absolutely horrendous."

A Persimmon North West spokesperson said: "The application... sought non-material amendments to some existing homes in line with this planning permission.

"We fully appreciate the issues that have been raised and have therefore already written to residents requesting time to meet and agree solutions that address these concerns as soon as possible."

A council spokesman said it deferred a decision due to concerns over the impact on a number of existing neighbouring residents.

"At no time did the committee request the demolition of the new houses, but requested that officers, in consultation with the developer and local residents, consider whether mitigation measures could be secured to address their concerns.

"Consequently, the planning application will be presented back to the planning committee once this has been carried out."

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]