HANDFORTH could miss out on an estimated £1 million after borough chiefs decided not to include the proposed garden village in its neighbourhood plan.

Parishes such as Handforth will be entitled to 25 per cent of community infrastructure levy (CIL) for developments made in accordance with their neighbourhood plan.

Handforth was expected to take in an estimated £2.5 million from developments at the North Cheshire Growth Village, to the east of the A34.

But now, the village would only be entitled to 15 per cent of CIL for any developments made on the site after Cheshire East Council decided not to let residents have their say on the garden village in the neighbourhood plan.

At a Handforth Parish Council meeting on Tuesday, February 14, Roger Small from the village’s neighbourhood plan steering group said the village would now expect to take in £1.5 million in CIL.

Cllr Barry Burkhill, CEC member for Handforth, added that that money was not secure if any planning applications are made before the council adopts its new CIL level.

He told the Guardian: “Handforth will get some money from the growth village, but if it is Section 106 rather than CIL then it really depends on what CEC wants to take from the developer, and what kind of sop they will distract us with.

“Here we have another example of the rapacious attitude of CEC towards Handforth where every penny is being squeezed out of the area to fund the promises made to projects elsewhere in the borough.

“As the Government’s local plan Inspector has made no recommendations to change any part of the plan as far as Handforth is concerned, CEC is putting the boot into Handforth. 

“The hundreds of letters and voices and personal representations to the inspector have counted for nothing.”

Residents are currently responding to Handforth’s neighbourhood plan questionnaire, which will be used to help shape the type of developments to hit the village in future, but any comments made on the garden village will be null and void.

A spokesman for CEC confirmed to the Guardian that residents will be able to voice their opinions on the garden village when the first planning applications for the site – situated to the east of the A34, opposite Handforth Dean – are submitted later this year.

In correspondence with Dr Roger Small from the neighbourhood plan steering group, Cllr Ainsley Arnold, CEC cabinet member for housing and planning, confirmed that the council expects to implement its CIL figure in ‘early 2018’.

He added that applications made before that date, such as the expected first applications for the garden village, will be subject to Section 106 contributions.

Borough chiefs claim a separate consultation process for the garden village will allow residents to ‘influence the shape’ of the development, and that ‘much work and local engagement’ has already taken place.

Cllr Arnold claims including the garden village within the neighbourhood plan would ‘complicate an already complex planning situation’.

“Given the need to progress the new village, there needs to be a secure and certain planning framework,” he said.

“We want to ensure that the new garden village has the clearest possible framework to guide its development.

“We are very keen that local people are closely involved in the planning of the new village and that this is best done within the context of the local plan rather than a separate development plan.

“This will enable us all to move ahead and plan the village community and the new homes that so many people need.”