Trafford Council has given the green light to a development of nine luxury homes on a "much-loved" piece of land in Oldfield Brow - despite accusations it was deliberately avoiding affordable housing requirements.
Trafford's planning committee has approved plans to build nine detached and semi-detached houses on land known locally as the Cow Field, despite strong opposition from some residents and councillors.
The development, put forward by Trafford Developments – an organization run by the council itself – will see nine three-storey houses with four or five bedrooms built on the 0.43-hectare site, each expected to sell for over £500,000.
The scheme has attracted particular criticism over the number of properties proposed, with opponents claiming the council is deliberately avoiding its own affordable housing policy.
Trafford Council's policies require developments of 10 or more homes to include affordable housing. By proposing just nine properties, critics argue the council is circumventing this requirement.
Local resident Paul O'Keefe has been among the most vocal opponents of the scheme.
In his representation against the development, he stated: "Oldfield Brow is a close-knit community, home to many social housing tenants, elderly residents and lower-income households.
"The site was once thriving allotment gardens, and yet, instead of restoring them for community use, it is now set for £500,000 executive homes, unaffordable to most local people."
Mr O'Keefe also claimed there had been an "underutilisation of available land" and that the site could accommodate more, smaller affordable homes while having less impact on existing residents.
In response to the criticism, a Trafford Council spokesperson said: "The building of affordable homes and market sale homes is a major priority for us and Trafford Developments, and we are currently working on a programme to deliver hundreds more across the borough.
"We were unable to provide affordable homes at Stokoe Avenue as it is a very small site and it would not be viable for us, so we instead opted to deliver much-needed family homes. It is also critical that we generate returns that can be reinvested into new homes and public services in the borough."
Clare Huber, director of development at Trafford Council, defended the consultation process, saying: "We have done significant work on this site over the last two years which has included significant community consultation. Since March 2023 a project manager has attended the quarterly Friends of Cow Fields meetings and we have arranged a full community drop-in session."
The council maintains that the development meets an identified housing need, with the Housing Needs Assessment (2023) finding that the majority of market sale accommodation required in the Altrincham area is for three and four-plus bedroom homes.
The planning committee was divided on the application, with Green Party Councillor Dan Jerrome stating that "the wrong choice" had been made to include only nine houses when there was room for 15. He suggested the decision was "politically motivated" by the controlling Labour group.
Councillor Meena Minnis agreed: "The big problem I have is that this is not an efficient use of land. We have a housing shortage - especially a social housing shortage. I would like to see more houses."
However, the committee's chair, Councillor Barry Winstanley, supported the application, saying: "I think it's a well-designed scheme, a good use of the land, and I think there's been an awful lot of consultation with local residents."
The application was ultimately approved with nine committee members voting in favor and four against.
The approved development will create nine detached and semi-detached three-storey dwellings with private gardens and parking within the property boundaries. Access to the site will be through a new road connecting to Stokoe Avenue.
The location offers proximity to local amenities, with Seamon's Road providing access to restaurants, shops and a post office.
Construction dates for the new development have not yet been announced.
