A SCHEME to bring 175 new homes, supermarket, local centre, offices, and light industrial development to Congleton has been given outline planning permission.

The approval, given by Cheshire East Council's strategic planning board, means councillors are happy with the principle of the Viking Way proposals by applicants Richborough Estates.

This site forms 23.55 hectares of the Congleton Business Park Extension allocation within the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy and sits to the north of Viking Way/Barn Road.

The site forms part of the wider North Congleton Masterplan, which has been identified as a substantial area to the north of the town in the local plan as "having the potential to make a significant contribution" towards the economic growth of the borough.

The meeting on March 12 saw concerns raised at the reduced affordable housing provision — 17.5 per cent compared to the usual 30 per cent — and cycling connectivity with the East-West greenway.

However, councillors felt that many of the issues could be ironed out in the future, and the lack of affordable housing was acceptable, given the estimated £2.6 million developer contribution for the Congleton Link Road attached to the project.

Cllr Stewart Gardiner, said: "I think we have spent a very long time discussing this application and failing to understand that actually all we are being asked to consider is that principle of development and primary means of vehicular access.

"Everything else is to be dealt with at reserved matters, including the greenway. All we have seen so far is an indicative layout — not an actual layout.

"The officers have worked to ensure that this piece of the jigsaw fits into the whole picture. I think the arguments about affordable housing are valid — but I am afraid to say that if we were to push for anything more we would [give] ourselves problems at an appeal but we also would prevent the development of this road, or the rest of us will have to pay for it."

The Congleton Business Park Extension included in Cheshire East's local plan seeks the delivery of/or a contribution towards the Congleton Link Road, a residential development of around 625 new dwellings, around 10 hectares of commercial development and the provision of pedestrian and cycle connections, which enhance green infrastructure, support existing wildlife areas and the River Dane, amongst other things.

This application was proposing 7.6 hectares of employment land split across either side of Viking Way.

In all, 10 of the board's 12 members voted in favour of approving the bid — with only chair Cllr Mike Hunter and Cllr Rob Moreton opposed.

Cllr Moreton said: "I am still concerned about the affordable housing. It always feels to me that the poor have to suffer to pay for things like link roads.

"Can we boost that to 30 per cent? Can we do the sensible thing and defer this and link the upcoming developments?

"It would be the right and proper thing to do for Congleton."

As part of the approval, the board attached a condition that the affordable housing quota does not drop below 17.5 per cent.

Many of the other details in the application will be resolved in a reserved matters application, brought forward at a later date.