Plug pulled on plans for Cheshire 'eco park' with 48 holiday lodges
The historic pub and hotel would have been retained as part of the scheme
Kilton Inn, Mere (Google)
Plans for an ‘eco-park’ on land around the Kilton Inn at Mere near Knutsford have been withdrawn. AG Blue (Cheshire) Ltd had applied for permission for 48 eco-lodges and a farm shop on the land at the rear and side of the pub and hotel on Warrington Road.
Cheshire East’s strategic planning board was due to determine the application and it had been recommended for refusal. The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands the application was withdrawn at the beginning of this week.
A report from the council’s planning officers, which was to have been presented to councillors tomorrow, says: “It is understood that the driver behind the development is the viability of the existing premises (Kilton Inn Public House and Casa Mere Hotel) and the need to ensure its longer-term future.”
The pub and hotel would have been retained as part of the scheme. The proposal had met with a mixed reaction from locals. According to the officer’s report, 51 letters had been received in relation to the proposal. Of these 28 either objected or raised concerns.
Objections included the impact on the green belt, loss of good quality agricultural land, loss of countryside and claims there was no need for holiday homes in the area. Twenty-three people had written in support of the scheme.
They argued it would boost tourism, provide employment benefits, help with the viability of the public house which has historical value, and that the proposed farm shop would benefit the local community. The application site is within the green belt.
The planning officer’s report states: “The proposed eco-park is located on land which was originally safeguarded for HS2 and remains safeguarded whilst the detail of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) is worked up. As such, HS2 Ltd have objected to the scheme.”
It adds: “The proposal seeks to introduce a relatively large retail unit in a rural location which the majority of the goods sold from would not be produced on site. In addition, the submission does not include any kind of retail or need assessment which is considered to be necessary for a retail offering of this size in this rural location.”
The application had been recommended for refusal on seven grounds, including it would be inappropriate development in the green belt and because the land remains safeguarded to allow for the potential for the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail.