A councillor asked whether Cheshire East's call for potential development sites should exclude the Jodrell Bank consultation zone, saying recent appeal decisions had effectively put a stop to building there.

Cllr Andrew Kolker (Con) was speaking at Thursday's meeting of the environment and communities committee, where councillors agreed to put out a call for possible sites which could be included in the local plan for future development.

The Dane Valley councillor said: "There have been a couple of appeal decisions recently that have effectively, certainly in my mind, put a stop to any development within the Jodrell Bank consultation zone.

"The planning inspector upheld a refusal to develop two houses in Holmes Chapel and 12 houses in Arclid."

He said the consultation zone covers a swathe of the centre of Cheshire East.

"So, there's a vast area that, unless you tell me otherwise, is effectively a no-house build zone," said Cllr Kolker.

"So, with that in mind, I suggest that it may be inappropriate to call for sites within that area, because they won't be developed, they're undevelopable."

He said this would mean the council would have to find more land in the rest of the borough, because it would still have to hit the government's target of 2,603 homes.

"Or, it gives you a legitimate claim to go back to government and say this figure is inappropriate for Cheshire East because it includes an area that your planning inspectors say can't be developed," he said.

"So it's either one or the other, both of which have very significant implications upon the rest of Cheshire East."

Cheshire East's current local plan states development will not be permitted within the Jodrell Bank consultation zone if it impairs the efficiency of the telescope.

Just two weeks ago a developer's attempt to build 25 dwellings in Holmes Chapel was refused by the council's strategic planning board because of the impact on Jodrell Bank.

David Malcolm, head of planning, told yesterday's meeting there is significant constraint on building because of Jodrell Bank 'but there isn't a moratorium'.

"Once we get into the actual meat of assessment of these applications for the sites, in addition to those new calls for sites, we put that in the pot, and then we start to assess all of those relevant factors," said Mr Malcolm

"Jodrell Bank will be a relevant factor."

He said there are significant elements of the current local plan, around north Congleton, that are also within the outer zone for Jodrell Bank.

"But they went ahead and they were allocated because, obviously, we still have a requirement to provide housing across the borough," said the planning boss.

"There are many constraints that we have across the borough."

He added: "At this time, we're not putting any judgement call on the call for sites."