PLANS to build eight townhouses within the shell of a former munitions factory in Plumley have been submitted to Cheshire East Council.

Sited within the Plumley nature reserve off the A556, the ‘Ascol Mill’ building has stood for more than 100 years and seen a number of uses – most recently periodical storage use.

JDA Architects have put together plans to build eight four-storey homes within the building’s walls, as well as an access road linking the site with Ascol Drive.

There would also be ground floor parking for 16 cars, or two per home.

The application’s design and access statement said: “The proposed redevelopment seeks to accommodate eight new four-storey townhouses within the former Ascol Mill walls.

“This can provide high-quality housing in a secluded area, which can help to meet the Cheshire East Council housing target and provide rural housing for those leading active lifestyles without needing to build on previously untouched green belt

“By retaining its external walls, the redevelopment can blend seamlessly with the existing scene, as a former mill set in a woodland clearing.

“This redevelopment has the rare opportunity to produce sustainable and modern housing within a rural setting with minimal impact on the surrounding land beyond the existing building’s immediate footprint.”

The land on which the building stands was industrialised in the early 1900s by Ammonia Soda Company Ltd, before being taken over by the Ministry of Defence.

It was then that the Ascol Mill itself was built, used for the production and storage of munitions during the two World Wars, having been expanded between them.

The site became a significant sodium plant from the 1950s onwards, closing in 1984, with the Ascol Mill building itself described as ‘relatively insignificant within the operation’ and used for storage.

Many of the works’ buildings were then demolished, with the site cleared of contaminants.

David McGifford, clerk to Plumley, Toft and Bexton Parish Council, said: “The council resolved to object to this application as it was in close proximity to an SSSI site and there had been no local consultation with regards to this development.”

Comments may be submitted on the CEC planning portal before October 3.