The decision on a controversial housing development in Henbury has been deferred by councillors, after a mammoth three-hour discussion.

The scheme, which was brought forward by Bellway Homes, would have seen 134 new houses built on land off Chelford Road on the outskirts of Macclesfield.

However, the council's strategic planning board felt that it needed more information on the peat currently underneath the land, and had concerns over the design and mix of housing proposed.

Cllr Ashley Farrall, representing the Macclesfield Central ward, said: "The whole area is visible [from Chelford Road]. There is nothing to stop you seeing it — just because they are in a bit from the road doesn't mean they cannot be seen.

"We do not want to ask the developer to provide an exact mix [of housing in line with Macclesfield's demands] but we would want it to be more reflective.

"If your solution is to use peat for landscaping, and you do not know how much peat there is, then you might have excess peat on your hands."

Plans from Bellway showed that only two of the properties proposed to be sold were not three or four bedrooms — although data from Macclesfield suggested there is far greater demand for one or two bed homes, according to Cllr Farrall.

Much of the councillors' discussions revolved around the fact that, outline planning permission granted in 2019 only allowed them to focus on landscaping and layout issues — despite "serious concerns" over the land's ability to flood, and pollution levels nearby being at 'unlawfully high' levels when outline approval was given.

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Ward Cllr James Barber said: "There are some permanent streams that run along the area. They go across and lead into where the surface water issues are.

"If you ever visited the fields, you would wonder why anyone wants to build housing here — visit the fields when there are issues and you would think 'it's not a house you need, you need a boat'.

"This application will also have a hugely detrimental impact on our young people — children will have to walk to school in an already dangerous air quality management area."

In effect, that decision of a previous planning committee painted this afternoon's (January 27) members into a corner.

Developers can now re-submit the application with amendments, should they choose to.