Campaigners have been left 'dismayed' after seeing plans for hundreds of homes reignited.

The Planning Inspectorate has upheld Bloor Homes' appeal, overturning Cheshire East Council's refusal and granting outline planning permission for around 200 homes on land off Prestbury Road.

Nick Cheetham from the Save Macclesfield Greenbelt group has expressed his disappointment with the decision, highlighting his concern over what this could mean for future development in the area.

He said: "We were surprised and dismayed to receive the delayed decision from the Planning Inspector, which will allow Bloor Homes to build up to 200 houses on this green belt land within the Bollin Valley Local Landscape Designation.

"This will have a disastrous impact on the character of Macclesfield – a town famously nestled in the hills and surrounded by countryside.

"The scale of that impact was starkly highlighted by Cheshire East Council's own landscape evidence. Its landscape officer, Richard Cowley, concluded that 'no amount of landscape buffering can screen this urban extension into the countryside from key viewpoints within a very public landscape, that of Riverside Park'."

READ MORE: Controversial plans for 200 homes on 'grey belt land' set to move forward as council decision overturned

The Planning Inspector agreed with Bloor Homes that the site comprises 'grey belt' land, claiming that the site does not make a strong contribution to the relevant green belt purposes.

The Inspector also noted that Cheshire East has shortfall of around 3,151 homes against the required supply, giving substantial weight to the delivery of both general needs and affordable housing.

Mr Cheetham added: "The decision ultimately turned on Cheshire East's lack of a five-year housing supply based on new housing targets and the classification of the land as 'grey belt'.

"The interpretation of what constitutes Grey Belt is now proving to be very different from the impression many people were given when the policy was introduced by the Government. Most people could readily understand the argument for development on genuinely degraded or previously developed green belt land – disused car parks, petrol stations and similar sites. What is much harder to reconcile is the use of the grey belt designation to justify building 200 houses on open, productive agricultural land which forms part of the landscape setting of Macclesfield.

"Our concern is that if land of this character can be classified as grey belt, the protection which local communities have always understood green belt to provide becomes significantly weakened. That is a much wider issue than this one development, but Macclesfield is now seeing the consequences at first hand.

"Acceptance of the substandard junction design on a blind bend astonishes us. Despite detailed physical measurement evidence the paper design will be adopted even though it relies on drivers being able to see through a large retained beech tree. The dangers in this design may not cause serious injury but we are not hopeful."

Mr Cheetham concluded: "The Inspector's decision only grants outline planning permission, with the detailed design and other matters still to be determined. We will therefore remain fully engaged and will scrutinise the reserved matters application very carefully when it is submitted.

"Finally, I would like to put on record our thanks to Tim Roca MP, Judy Snowball and David Edwards, our local councillors, for their active support of our campaign.

"Their engagement has been greatly appreciated, as has the contribution of the many local residents who have supported the campaign throughout."

With outline planning permission now secured, Bloor Homes will begin the next stage of the planning process by bringing forward reserved matters applications to determine the detailed design of the scheme, including the appearance of the homes, landscaping, public spaces and wider layout.

Toby Hudson, strategic land director at Bloor Homes, said: "We are delighted that the Planning Inspector has recognised the significant benefits that this scheme will bring to Macclesfield and has overturned the Council's decision to refuse the application.

"It is now almost a year since the application was rejected by committee despite receiving a recommendation for approval from the Council's own planning officers. Throughout that time we have remained confident that the scheme represented a sustainable and well-considered response to Macclesfield's growing housing needs."