A developer wants to add another three houses to a Congleton estate instead of building the medical centre agreed when the original planning permission was secured.

Permission to build up to 120 homes, together with a 180 sqm health-related development, was granted on appeal in 2015.

Now Stewart Milne Homes wants to scrap plans for a medical centre and has applied to Cheshire East Council for permission to build an extra three houses, including one affordable, on the land at the junction of Thistle Way and Padgbury Lane.

The application has been 'called-in' by local councillor Suzie Akers Smith (Ind) and is now due to be  considered by the southern planning committee on Wednesday.

The Congleton councillor said in her call-in: "These houses are to replace a promised medical centre which was outlined in the initial plan for 120 houses."

She said residents living on the estate were opposed to the new application and some had chosen to buy a house there because there was going to be a medical centre.

The three-year expiry date for the medical centre has passed but Cllr Akers Smith said: "If the developers were not going to build the medical centre they should have made prospective residents aware of this, and that there was an expiry date of three years on the plan."

She added: "That said, the development has been delayed due to the pandemic and I feel this application should be discussed by committee to look at extending the term by which a medical centre is to be built. If it isn't to be built, the area to be left as public open space."

Congleton Town Council has objected to the application, saying it would be over-development of the area.

It also raised highways objections, saying the proposal would make the junction 'even more dangerous than it already is due to lack of visibility'.

Thirty one residents have objected. Their objections included highways concerns, loss of privacy and the fact that, if given the go-ahead, the development will exceed the total of 120 dwellings approved on the site.

Cheshire East's planning officers have recommended the application be approved.

In a report due to go before Wednesday's meeting, the officer states: "Although the previous application permitted 120 dwellings on the site, there is nothing to prevent the developer making an application to increase the number of dwellings on the site."

With regard to the previously proposed medical centre, the officer states: "Although the S106 agreement completed as part of the outline consent includes a covenant to reserve the medical centre for use as such for a period of three years from the commencement of development, this was not considered to be necessary by the inspector.

"In any event the S106 agreement required the medical centre for use for a period of three years which has now passed, with no reference to marketing."

The southern planning committee meeting takes place at 10am on Wednesday, January 11, at Crewe Municipal Buildings.

A show home for the development can be seen here.