Mirrlees Fields housing plans taken to appeal

Stockport Council’s decision to deny planning consent to over 200 new homes at Mirrlees Fields in Hazel Grove is being taken to appeal.

The 53-acre site is owned by engineering firm, MAN Energy Solutions, which has its UK headquarters next to the land. The business proposed plans in late 2020 to develop 11 acres of the site for up to 200 homes, with the remaining area transferred to the Land Trust to be retained for public use as an informal country park. A planning application for outline consent for the new homes was submitted in Autumn 2021 following a public consultation; however, despite recommendations to approve the development from planning officers, councillors overruled recommendations and rejected plans in light of the loss of green space.

MAN Energy Solutions has now appealed Stockport Council’s decision with the national Planning Inspectorate in a bid to overturn the decision. The business wants to use the funds from sale of the land for development in order to invest in its workforce, buildings and transition to green technologies, and has warned that it may choose to sell the land without planning consent to developers irrespective of the result of the appeal.

Asteer Planning has been appointed by MAN Energy Solutions to prepare its Statement of Case for the appeal, which began on 1st August 2023. The Planning Inspector assigned to the appeal will hear from both Stockport Council and MAN Energy Solutions at a case management conference on 13th September, before a Public Inquiry beginning on 31st October. A final decision on the Mirrlees Fields scheme is expected to issued on or before 18th December 2023.