Helsby Parish Council has objected for a second time to a planning application proposing the construction of a 245 dwelling development at Cable Drive in Helsby.

The warehouse buildings currently occupying the site would be demolished, and replaced by flats, semi-detached and detached houses, with a small area of open public space providing a 'buffer' to Hornsmill Brook.

In theory, 74 of the dwellings will to fit Cheshire West's criteria for affordable housing.

According to the application document, "Detached and semi-detached housing creates a coherent and orderly townscape throughout the development, which is in-keeping with the urban character of the historic streets found around the Chester Road and surrounding roads of Helsby."

This site, which was formerly the home of the old BICC factory, is currently being used by Honeywell company, Novar ED&S Ltd, who are relocating their premises to Ellesmere Port.

The Parish Council initially objected to the plans in February, soon after the application was first submitted, and have taken the opportunity to reiterate their concerns.

"The Council feels that the application is ill thought out and deficient in many details and therefore should not have even been submitted to the planning authority," the Parish Council stated.

"There has been no engagement with the Parish Council, Helsby Neighbourhood Plan Group, Helsby Community Sports Club, or the wider local community and businesses prior to submission of the application," it added, in a point supported by Dunham on the Hill and Hapsford Parish Council.

Because of this, no meaningful public consultation was able to take place.

Helsby PC also had objections over highway access to the proposed site, and stated that the existing plans failed to 'integrate' with the local infrastructure and services.

Concerns were also raised over the influx of children who would be entering Helsby's schools if the development went ahead.

"We know that both our primary schools are oversubscribed and this year Helsby High School has recorded a record number of new entrants," the Council said.

Cheshire West's Education Team supported these reservations, calculating that the housing development would bring at least 50 children to the village. Their report also stated that Helsby High School has no surplus spaces, and that Horn's Mill Primary School has only seven.

Both Helsby and Dunham on the Hill Parish Councils also observed that there is only one GP surgery in the village, which might find itself over-stretched by such a sharp increase in population size.

Helsby PC added: "This will probably be our last opportunity to use the last remaining brownfield site in Helsby to good effect for future generations. The application, as presently proposed, appears to be based on maximising the number of dwellings. The Parish Council would prefer to see an alternative approach and with climate change in mind.

"The Parish Council wish to be involved, together with CWaC and other interested parties in the development, with a revised vision on behalf of the community.

"We believe this is the best way to optimise the further regeneration of the former BICC brownfield site.

"As you know, the Parish Councils of Helsby, Dunham Hill & Hapsford held a recent Zoom meeting with the land owners in the area to discuss the creation of a vision for the future. Both councils were disappointed that both Honeywell and their representative declined the invitation to attend."