Plans for a developer to build a further eight houses in Congleton which would encroach onto a prior agreed woodland corridor have been met with objections.

Seddon Homes has applied to Cheshire East Council for the erection of eight dwellings at land west of Goldfinch Close, Congleton.

The application was discussed at last Thursday's Congleton Town Council meeting of the Planning Committee.

Cllr Kay Wesley proposed the town council objected to the "innocuous" application.

The application is located at the site Seddon Homes were granted planning permission to construct 220 homes in 2014, the 'Falcon Rise' development.

However, since that application, Seddon have submitted several further applications to build additional properties on the site.

Cllr Wesley stated the latest application would see the additional eight houses intrude on a woodland corridor, which formed part of the original reserved matters application.

The eight houses would take up the space behind the Wellspring Methodist Church and across over to Priesty Fields near the cemetery.

But Cllr Wesley highlighted that the original plans showed a woodland corridor which included a bridleway on it.

Speaking about Seddon's plans, Cllr Wesley said: "They are just squeezing in more houses and taking up some of this woodland corridor.

"I do not think we should be having it."

Cllr Wesley's concerns were also echoed by a resident, who submitted their objections to the application on Cheshire East's planning portal.

A Moss Road resident said: "When I was thinking of moving to Congleton 6 years ago, one of the things that most impressed me about the town was the fact that it is possible to walk almost from the Parish Church directly into the countryside via the path through to Lamberts Lane.

"Since then, housing developments have been eating away at this open land, and so it is particularly important that the "woodland corridor"

along this path is of sufficient width to preserve this rural illusion.

"Any attempt by Seddon Homes to encroach on this corridor should therefore be refused by the Planning Authority."

Cllr Suzy Firkin felt it was another case of "Deja Vu" with another developer trying the "same trick" in a similar area.

Cllr Wesley added: "This is a really important corridor from Lambert's Lane down into town, it's a last bastion of greenery in that area where there is quite a lot of sprawl of housing estates.

"To lose that would ruin the area and have a huge impact on wildlife."

John Hunter, of Quayside, Congleton, also submitted his objections to the plans via Cheshire East's planning portal.

He said: " I object to this application on the grounds that it extends the footprint of the developed area to include the proposed woodland buffer to the east of the path between Howie Lane and Lamberts Lane. The wooded corridor would therefore be destroyed.

"This wooded corridor is a feature of the approved plans that retains an important aspect of amenity for local residents."

Congleton Town Council objected to the application on the grounds of:

- Loss of green corridor

- Safety issues due to the width of the bridleway

- Nature conservation

- Intrusion into open countryside/green belt

You can view the plans here. Residents have until Wednesday (4 November) to submit their comments and Cheshire East has set 1 December as the decision target date for the application.