Open Space Disposal - Farmland and recreational land at Garden Village, Handforth

Details of Proposal

Under Section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972, notice is hereby given that Cheshire East Borough Council intends to appropriate Land at Garden Village, Handforth. Appropriation is the process by which the Council formally changes the statutory purpose for which land is held, where it is satisfied that the land is no longer required for its existing purpose, so that it may be used for another lawful purpose. The land comprises approximately 120 hectares of open farmland and recreational Land at Garden Village, Handforth as shown edged red on the plan available for inspection (the “Land”). The Land has been assembled over time by predecessor authorities and is currently used for agricultural (grazing), informal recreation and leisure purposes. The Land is open space. The Proposed Appropriation that The Council considers is that the Land is no longer required for the purposes for which it is currently held. The Council therefore proposes to appropriate the Land for planning purposes to facilitate the development of a new garden village, comprising housing (including affordable housing), employment and community uses, a school, and areas of public open space and green infrastructure.

Inspect the documents online

• A plan identifying the Land (PDF, 2.2MB)
• Statement of Reasons (PDF, 74KB)

Inspect the documents in person

Handforth Library
The Green
Wilmslow Road
Handforth
SK9 3ES

and

Wilmslow Library
South Drive
Wilmslow
SK9 1NW

during normal opening hours.

Representations and Objections

Any person wishing to object to the proposed appropriation should do so in writing, stating the grounds of objection, to:

Head of Legal Services at Cheshire East Borough Council
Legal Services
c/o Delamere House
Delamere Street
Crewe
CW1 2LL

Or to proposeddisposalofpublic.openspace@cheshireeast.gov.uk. No later than 10 July 2026.

Dated: 9 June 2026

Hilary Irving, Interim Head of Legal Services (Place)