MIDDLEWICH Town Council united this week in cross-party objection against plans to build homes, retirement flats and shops in Wheelock Street.

Developers Henderson Homes and McCarthy and Stone have submitted a planning application to Cheshire East Council to build 29 homes, 50 retirement flats and three shops on the derelict land behind Tesco in Southway.

The land, which was earmarked for expansion by Tesco in 2009, has been left to become an eyesore in the centre of the town, and has prompted councillors and the community to call for the land to be developed for several years.

However, after finally being presented with development plans for the land, Labour, Middlewich First and independent members of Middlewich Town Council have shown they are ready to join together to fight against the plans.

Discussing the planning application at the town council’s monthly meeting on Monday, members agreed that they should not let their want of development on the land allow for an ill-fitting development.

Cllr Jonathan Parry, Labour, said: “I do want to see that land sorted, because it’s a mess. But I’m totally against this until I see information come back from the public consultation event.

“They held that event to speak to members of the public, but it seems as though they just held it to please the public and now they’re not going to do a thing about it.”

Councillors raised several issues about the unsuitability of the site, including the issue of anti-social behaviour in the area and lack of CCTV, the safety of the junction at Darlington Street and Newton Heath, and the small number of shops included in the plans.

Cllr Simon McGrory, Middlewich First, said: “They came to meet and talk with us, and they did listen, but they have not taken any action to make a difference.

“It’s OK them coming to talk and putting a small amount of retail space in to compensate, but if they’re going to ignore everything else, it’s not enough.”

Cllr McGrory, who is also a member of Cheshire East Council and a Middlewich High School governor, added that his understanding is that the developers have been asked to consider giving £65,000 towards local school funding and have turned this down.

Cllr McGrory said: “They want to pay nothing. And this isn’t one of those situations where the positives of what the development would bring in outweigh that. The school simply cannot function.”

All councillors voted in favour of refusing the application, except for Bernice Walmsley – who abstained due to her role on Cheshire East Council’s southern planning committee.

However, Middlewich Town Council’s vote of refusal is only to act as an advisory indication for Cheshire East Council’s planning committee.

With that in mind, the town councillors also agreed on several conditions to ask for, in the event that the application is accepted.

Cllr David Latham, independent, said: “When it goes to borough council, they will just say ‘yes’ as they have done in the past. They just don’t listen to us.

“So I’m saying if we are going to get lumped with it, let’s get something out of it.”

Councillors agreed that if the application is accepted, they will ask for a Darlington Street pedestrian crossing, CCTV in Southway and protection of current residents’ parking.

The application is set to be discussed at committee on March 7.