Marina and 83 homes to be built after long delay

A "leisure marina" and up to 83 new homes are to be built on the site of a former shipyard, nearly eight years after plans were first submitted.

Cheshire West and Chester Council first approved an application to transform Northwich's Weaver Shipyard in 2020, despite some local opposition.

News that the development, off Saxons Lane, will finally now go ahead follows years of legal wrangling.

There will be a wide range of properties built, from one bed "cottage flats" to two, three and four-bedroom homes. A third of the homes will be classed as "affordable".

An outline planning application submitted in 2018 was met with fierce opposition from local councillors and some residents, who raised concerns around flooding and increased traffic.

An initial approval in principle was granted in 2020, but the full outline scheme was not signed off until 2022.

Northwich Town Council also raised fears about traffic congestion and the impact on biodiversity in the area.

A final, more detailed "reserved matters" application which contained more specific details on things like types of housing, was lodged almost exactly a year ago.

That has now been approved, paving the way for construction to begin.

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