NW council to seek judicial review after inspector decision on 170-home site

A North West council is to challenge a planning inspector’s ruling that allowed an appeal by a developer seeking to build 170 homes.

Richborough Estates wants to develop land at Moorfields, Willaston.

In a statement Cheshire East Council said: “On legal advice from leading counsel, the authority has taken the view that there are sufficient grounds to justify an application to the High Court to challenge the decision by Government Planning Inspector Alan Boyland to grant planning consent to the builders and to overturn the original planning refusal by [the council].” 

Boyland announced the outcome of his inquiry on 1 August. The local authority said it would argue that he “failed to understand, interpret or apply the correct approach in four areas of planning policy and housing need in relation to this particular site”.