Frequently Asked Questions
We have addressed some common questions about our emerging proposals for Phase 3 of the Crewe Northern Gateway development. We will continue to review, update and add to the FAQs as consultation moves forward and through the planning process.
Proposed Development & Site Details
What is the Crewe Northern Gateway development?
The Crewe Northern Gateway Development is a significant residential expansion initiative led by Muller Property Group, aimed at addressing the growing housing needs in Cheshire East. This multi-phase project is designed to deliver a substantial number of homes, along with essential infrastructure and community amenities.
Phase 1: Completed in 2015, this phase introduced 240 homes, including 20% affordable housing, public open spaces, and highway improvements. It also contributed over £1 million towards local education and infrastructure enhancements.
Phase 2: Approved in 2016 and nearing completion, this phase comprises 275 homes with 30% affordable housing. It has provided significant contributions of £689,500 for local education and £495,00 for highway improvement.
Phase 3: Currently in the planning stage, Phase 3 is proposing approximately 530 homes on a 60-acre site south of Maw Green Road. The plan includes:
- A mix of one- to five-bedroom homes, with 30% designated as affordable housing.
- A new spine road connecting Maw Green Road to Hurcombe Way and Sydney Road, aiming to improve traffic flow and provide alternative routes into Crewe.
- Extensive green spaces, including a children’s play area, playing fields, orchards, and allotments, with a commitment to achieving at least a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain.
- Enhanced pedestrian and cycle paths to promote sustainable and healthy lifestyles.
This development aligns with Cheshire East Council’s objectives to increase housing supply in response to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and supports the region’s broader regeneration efforts.
What is proposed at this site?
Muller Property Group is preparing an Outline planning application for around 530 high-quality homes, offering a variety of sizes and tenures to meet diverse housing needs. The development will include 30% affordable housing, and supporting infrastructure such as public open spaces, landscaping, drainage, and access routes, and the formation of a new vehicular and pedestrian accesses off the Phases 1 & 2, and Maw Green Road.
Where is the development site located?
The site is located on land off Sydney Road and Maw Green Road, Crewe.
The land immediately west of the site (Crewe Northern Gateway – Phases 1 & 2) benefits from various planning permissions for residential development public open space including children’s play areas, and associated infrastructure works.
To the west is Maw Green Road and the railway line that heads north out of Crewe to Sandbach. The surrounding land to the north and east is largely rural, with some Minerals and Waste Development located wider to the north west, in the form of the Maw Green landfill site, which is in the process of being decommissioned and capped.
What is the size of the site?
The proposed development site (Crewe Northern Gateway – Phase 3) comprises approximately 65 acres (26.4 hectares) of green field land, principally farmland which has been used for grazing animals, and is located to the north-east edge of Crewe.
Why is the development being proposed?
There is a well-documented housing shortage across the UK, and Councils are required to allocate land to meet local housing needs. Cheshire East Council is currently unable to demonstrate an adequate supply of housing, highlighting the need for well-planned, sustainable development. The site will contribute to meeting this demand, delivering high-quality homes while enhancing the local area.
Why has Muller Property Group chosen this location for development?
Crewe is identified as a Principle Town with a range of shops and services and is capable of accommodating new development of the scale proposed.
The site has been identified as a sustainable and suitable location for new housing, helping to meet local demand and will support to towns vitality and viability. The Site benefits from excellent transport links and offers an opportunity to create a high-quality residential community that integrates seamlessly with the town.
What types of houses are you proposing?
The planning application will be an outline planning application. This type of planning application sets out the broad principles of development, such as concept layout, infrastructure and access arrangements. Details such as house types, architecture etc would be subject to a further planning applications (called a Reserved Matters planning application).
At this stage, a mix of high-quality homes is envisaged, in a range of styles and tenures, and with a design approach that complements the existing character of Crewe. This would include 1-5 bedroom homes, catering to first-time buyers, families, and downsizers.
Will there be affordable housing?
It is proposed that 30% of the new homes delivered on the site will be affordable homes, in line with local policy requirements.
Is the land designated as Green Belt?
The site is not located within the greenbelt and has no technical constraints in order to achieve sustainable development.
Environmental & Sustainability Considerations
Does the site flood?
Limited areas of the site are at risk of flooding, particularly near Fowle Brook, which runs through the centre of the site. National flood mapping indicates that some areas fall within Flood Zones 2 and 3, meaning they are susceptible to fluvial (river) flooding. Additionally, certain areas in the west of the site are affected by surface water flooding, particularly during intense rainfall events.
To address this, a detailed Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and Drainage Strategy is being prepared. These will ensure that development is appropriately located and designed to minimise flood risk. The proposals will comply with national and local planning policies, ensuring that flood risk is not increased for the site or surrounding areas.
How will the development manage flood risk?
The development is being designed with flood risk mitigation as a key priority. A Flood Risk Assessment is being undertaken to assess existing conditions and determine effective flood management measures.
This includes:
- Avoiding high-risk flood areas wherever possible.
- Incorporating sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) to manage surface water runoff effectively.
- Ensuring compliance with national and local flood risk policies to prevent any increase in flood risk to surrounding areas.
- Designing the site to be resilient to future climate change impacts.
Through these measures, the development will be designed to withstand extreme weather events and minimise any potential flood-related impacts.
How will surface water be managed?
Managing surface water effectively is essential to prevent increased flood risk. A Drainage Strategy is being developed to ensure that rainfall is managed safely.
The key proposals include:
- Restricting surface water runoff to the greenfield runoff rate, in line with local policy. This ensures that the development will not increase flood risk and will improve surface water management.
- Using Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) such as attenuation ponds, swales, and permeable surfaces to store and gradually release rainwater.
- Designing drainage infrastructure to accommodate extreme rainfall events, including the 1-in-100-year storm plus climate change allowance.
These measures will ensure that the site remains well-drained and that both future residents and the wider community are protected from surface water flooding.
Will the proposals affect local watercourses?
Surveys are being undertaken determine the value of habitats on site to ensure that habitats of higher value are retained. As part of the Biodiversity Net Gain Requirement where 10% gain in habitat units cannot be achieve on site (either through creation or enhancement of habitats) off site enhancements will be undertaken.
Ecologists are undertaking surveys to determine the presence and absence of protected species within the application site to ensure that where populations are recorded impacts can be reduced through avoidance, mitigation, and compensatory habitat creation post construction.
The Fowle Brook is an important feature of the site, and its protection is a priority. The development will require a watercourse crossing, which will be designed to avoid any negative impact on flood risk or the environment.
Key measures include:
- Working with the Environment Agency and local authorities to ensure compliance with all relevant regulations.
- Carefully controlling water discharge from the site to prevent increased flood risk.
- Exploring opportunities to improve the brook’s ecological value, where possible, through habitat enhancement and natural flood management techniques.
By integrating these measures into the development, the project will maintain and enhance the local water environment while ensuring flood risk is effectively managed.
Are there any protected areas nearby?
There are no World Heritage Sites, Scheduled Monuments, Registered Battlefields or Registered Parks and Gardens within the site or within 1km of the site.
A single listed building is present within 1km of the site, Fodens Farm. This listed building does not share any intervisibility with the site, with it being located beyond the railway line running adjacent to the site.
Immediately adjacent to the site are a number of non-designated heritage assets relating to the railway itself.
There are statutory and non-statutory designated sites within 5km of the site. Brookhouse Pools Local Wildlife Sites situated north of the site, Sandbach Flashes SSSI situated north of the site, and Poplars Farm Marsh Local Wildlife Site situated north of the site.
What will happen to existing hedgerows and trees?
Where possible all boundary and intersecting hedgerows will be retained and protected during construction. Loss of hedgerows and trees will be compensated within the landscaping scheme.
Trees will be retained where possible, all have been surveyed to determine their longevity, and trees proposed for felling will be subjected to further Bat Roost surveys.
Will the development enhance biodiversity?
Surveys are being undertaken determine the value of habitats on site to ensure that habitats of higher value are retained. As part of the Biodiversity Net Gain Requirement where 10% gain in habitat units cannot be achieve on site (either through creation or enhancement of habitats) off site enhancements will be undertaken.
Will there be any green space as part of this proposed development?
Across the site are a number ponds which are to be retained and incorporated within the scheme. Further attenuation is to be created across the scheme, which will provide further focal points and add to landscaping across the site.
Where possible hedgerows, mature scrub and trees will be retained across the scheme to soften the built environment created. Landscape buffers will be incorporated into the scheme such as surrounding Fowle brook bisecting the site, in order to protect the riparian habitat. The woodland within the south east corner of the site will be retained and managed to increase the value for biodiversity.
Traffic, Access & Local Infrastructure
How will the development affect local roads and traffic?
Traffic will be generated by the proposed development. However, Muller are preparing a full and formal Transport Assessment that will support the planning application. This document will consider all elements of travel and ensure that the site will provide safe and suitable access from the local highway network, ensure that the site is as sustainable as possible to allow residents and visitors to have alternatives to travel by non-car travel modes to local amenities and ensure that the impact on the road network is not ‘severe’. This is likely to require a range of off site highway works at key locations that will be discussed with officers at Cheshire East Council.
How will the development be accessed, and what are the implications for the local highway network?
Primary access to the site will be via the link road (Hurcomb Way) through the consented Phase 1 & 2 developments to the southwest, connecting to Sydney Road. A secondary access is proposed to the west, linking to Maw Green Road.
As part of the Proposed Development, the spine road will link Maw Green Lane to Hurcombe Way and Sydney Road, providing an alternate route into Crewe from the A534 to the east. This will enable the remaining section of Maw Green Road to be utilised as a quiet lane, providing a safe cycle route to Crewe.
Equally, the provision of the spine road will enable bus routes to be rolled out through Proposed Development area, and the phase one and two sites.
Highway improvements to Maw Green Road will help manage traffic flow, service and delivery vehicles, and public transport, while proposed pedestrian and cycle enhancements will further improve connectivity.
Will there be traffic calming measures?
Internally, there is likely to be elements of traffic calming to ensure that traffic speeds are reduced and the internal highway environment is focussed on safe and suitable pedestrian and cycle movement.
How will the site be accessible by public transport, walking, and cycling?
The internal spine road, and the wider potential Link Road, will include pedestrian and cycle infrastructure. The main spine road and Link Road will also include a 6.5m wide road to accommodate a potential bus route.
How will the site affect local healthcare provision?
The proposed development is likely to have an impact on local healthcare provision. As such, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board may request a financial contribution from the development to help mitigate this impact and support improvements to nearby GP practices.
The NHS is transitioning towards larger, multidisciplinary primary care facilities to improve efficiency and access. These facilities often serve a larger patient base, aiming for a minimum of 7,000 registered patients for operational efficiency. This shift involves integrating various healthcare services and roles within the same space, such as GPs, therapists, pharmacists, and nurses.
In light of this, we will be engaging with local GP practices to better understand current capacity and pressures. This feedback will help inform the formal consultation process between Cheshire East Council and the NHS once a planning application is submitted. Any agreed healthcare investment would be secured through a Section 106 legal agreement between the Council and the development team.
How will the site affect local education provision?
The proposed development is likely to have an impact on local education provision. However, the Council’s Education Team have not identified that a new school is required to be provided on this site to meet a forecasted need for pupil places in Crewe.
As such, the Council’s Education Team may request a financial contribution from the development to help mitigate this impact and support improvements to nearby primary and secondary schools, and fund Special Education provision.
We will be actively engaging with local schools to better understand current and future capacity. This feedback will help inform the formal consultation process between Cheshire East Council and the education authority once a planning application is submitted. Any agreed education investment would be secured through a Section 106 legal agreement between the Council and the development team.
Construction & Planning Process
When will a planning application be submitted?
We are currently preparing an Hybrid planning application, which we will submit to Cheshire East Council following this consultation. Your feedback is essential in shaping the final plans before submission.
An update will be made to this website with information about the submitted plans.
What is the expected timeline for construction and completion?
Overall, the process can take a number of years between an outline planning application being submitted and development commencing on site. We have set out a rough guide to anticipated planning timescales in the timeline at the bottom of the home page, however it is important to note that this is approximate and is very much dependent on local planning authority timescales and matters arising during statutory consultation.
Will there be public consultation throughout the planning and construction process?
When an outline planning application is submitted to the local planning authority (in this case Cheshire East Council) it is then subject to a formal consultation called a Statutory Consultation. There will be 4 weeks allocated to allow for public and third party representations to be made. This includes consultation with a range of statutory consultees such as the local NHS Integrated Care Board, the local education authority, the lead local flood authority, Natural England, local and national highways authorities, local town and parish councils, and many others, as well as the wider community.
How will construction activities (noise, dust, traffic) be managed to minimise disruption to neighbours?
Dust emissions during construction will be controlled through implementation of best practice mitigation measures as outlined by the Institute of Air Quality Management. These will be secured through planning condition and monitored by the local authority.
How can the local community have their say?
To comment on the pre-application public consultation, visit the have your say page on this website to submit your feedback and fill in our questionnaire.
Alternatively you can speak with a member of the team by calling: 0800 788 0900 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm), email your comments and questions to: contact@crewe-north.co.uk or write to us at: Ref: Crewe Northern Gateway, Muller Property Group, The Point, Crewe Road, Alsager, Cheshire, ST7 2GP
When an outline planning application is submitted to Cheshire East Council it is then subject to a formal consultation called a Statutory Consultation. The community will then have further opportunity to comment on the proposals.