Cheshire East has refused an application to convert a Macclesfield office block into six 'pokey' flats.

The application to convert Marburae House on Athey Street had been recommended for approval by the council's planning officers, despite there being no garden area and no parking spaces for future occupants.

But councillors disagreed, with one arguing the committee needed to establish 'some minimum standards of what we expect from developers when they're producing plans for people to permanently live in'.

Ward councillor Liz Braithwaite (Lab), speaking as a visiting member at Wednesday's meeting of the northern planning committee, said she was most concerned about fire safety standards.

Cllr Braithwaite said housing standards had raised no objection, subject to the installation of a sprinkler system, but had said 'consultation and opinion must ultimately be obtained and consent gained from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service on this matter'.

She said there was no evidence that had been done and the application should be refused or deferred until it had, adding: "It's not a minor issue, it's potentially a risk to life."

The Macclesfield councillor then referred to how small the apartments were.

Cheshire East HQ, Westfields, in Sandbach.

"There's an acceptance that just above minimum space is ok… that total lack of outside amenity is ok. I don't believe it is," she said.

Planning officer Nick Hulland told councillors fire safety was a matter for building control, not the planning committee.

Cllr Brian Puddicombe, (Macclesfield South, Lab) questioned how highways officers could say it was acceptable for no parking to be provided when the parking problem on that road was 'chronic'.

Referring to the lack of windows in a couple of rooms, he said: "I don't think it's right we should let people live without natural light."

Knutsford councillor Stewart Gardiner (Con) said he shared the concerns of both councillors.

"When we are providing accommodation with no usable outdoor space then there should be some means of compensating and that means we would be expecting more generous internal floor spacing, we would be expecting rooms to have opening windows and possibly opening in so you end up with air being able to ventilate, particularly on warm days," said Cllr Gardiner.

"I think this is over-development. It's too much in a small space without providing the appropriate levels of amenity for the proposed occupiers, let alone the fact there's no on-site car parking."

He said the units were too small and the scheme should not be approved.

But Cllr Tony Dean (Knutsford, Con) said although he wouldn't want to live there, someone might be grateful of the 'pokey flats' 'to sleep in.

"I think we're going to have to approve this otherwise it will go through on appeal," he said.

Cllr Craig Browne (Alderley Edge, Ind) agreed with concerns raised by others and proposed the application be refused.

This was seconded by Cllr Ken Edwards (Bollington, Lab) who said: "I strongly believe that this is over-development… and I do think we need to establish, as a planning committee, some minimum standards of what we expect from developers when they're producing plans for people to permanently live in."

The application was refused on the grounds it would result in a substandard level of amenity for future occupiers and would be an over-development of the site.

Seven councillors voted to refuse and two voted against.

See Also: Days left to apply for Macclesfield Co-op's Local Community Fund 2023-24

Advertise your Macclesfield event FOR FREE on our What's On page.

Macclesfield: Have you signed up for our FREE Friday weekly newsletter? It contains each week's top five Macclesfield news stories, and one EXCLUSIVE article?

Simply enter your email address on this link.

Free from pop-up ads, or unwanted surveys, Macclesfield Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.

You can find us on Facebook and Twitter.