ONE of the developers behind a massive 1,400-home development off Wrexham Road in Chester is seeking to tweak their plans.

Redrow previously secured permission for their part of the phased development, the first phase which is seeing 483 homes built as part of the Kings Moat Garden Village.

The developer also has outline planning permission for a number of local amenities to be built on the site, including shops, a pub, a primary school with associated playing fields, a nursery/creche and a café/restaurant.

Now the homes firm is looking to alter the homes make-up of the site, which would now see five-bedroom homes built.

A planning statement submitted to Cheshire West and Chester Council as part of the S73 application (ie an amendment to planning permission details) said there would be no increase in the number of homes built overall, nor would there be a reduction in the number of affordable homes provided.

The number of one-bedroom homes would dip from 19 to 18, the number of two-bedroom homes would remain at 80, the number of three-bedroom homes would fall from 167 to 144, and the number of four-bedroom homes would fall from 217 to 216.

In their place would be 25 new five-bedroom properties.

Of the 483 homes, 145 would be categorised as affordable, split by 18 one-bedroom, 80 two-bedroom, 43 three-bedroom and four four-bedroom houses.

The planning statement by Lichfields, on behalf of Redrow, stated: "This is to better reflect market demand in the Chester area and the significant demand being experienced on the existing development on the Wrexham Road scheme for larger properties.

"In overall terms, the increase in the number of 5 beds is not considered to be significant."

Redorw added in a design justification statement: "The additional house-types also reflect the types and styles that are still being constructed on other approved phases. The design and character of the wider site can be seen and envisaged at the entrance of the development and promotes the high quality architectural characteristics that Kings Moat Garden Village is promoting within the Chester."

The revised planning application also seeks to address the error committed by developers earlier this year, where four large protected trees on the site were accidentally felled in February this year. Redrow later "apologised profusely" for the "genuine and unfortunate error" to Cheshire West and Chester Council, and said it would replenish the site with a higher number of trees than the number felled.

Documents shown as part of the tweaked plans reveal revised landscaping addressing the issue.

Planners have also said that the delivery of an ecological mitigation area, agreed by Kings Moat site applicants Redrow, Taypor Wimpey and Lingley Estates, had seen the created of 10 new habitat ponds as an appropriate habitat for protected species such as great crested newts.

Comments on the application, reference 22/01679/S73, can be made to Cheshire West and Chester Council by July 14.