FURIOUS residents have lodged more than 1000 objections to a planning application to build 900 houses on a golf course in Crewe.

Residents in Wychwood Village and the neighbouring communities have lodged one of the highest numbers of objections ever received by Cheshire East Borough Council to the application.

The backlash has seen 1,150 objections to approve planning permission for the Gorstyhill Golf Course site, on the outskirts of Crewe. There are currently 326 homes on the site.

Trevor Sandry, chairman of the Wychwood Community Group formed by local residents to fight the proposals, said: “Should the plans be given approval this total would rise to 1,226 with the associated massive increase in traffic volumes, even more pressure on local infrastructure at all levels and the virtual certainty of living on a construction site for a further 20-30 years.

“We have already been living on one for 10 years with building work still not finished, and that is for just 326 properties.

“The community has given both Cheshire East Strategic Planning Board and its council officers probably one of the most comprehensive sets of material planning objections they have ever seen, providing them with sound reasons why this application should be refused.”

Haddon Property Developments (HPD) acquired Gorstyhill Golf Course in 2011.

At the beginning of January 2013 members were informed of a major operational change to be made by director, Peter Hunt, which would come into effect from April 1, 2013.

The change will see an end to all memberships and downgrade the course to a ‘Pay and Play’.

However, the golf course permanently closed on March 31, 2013, before these changes came into effect.

HPD has subsequently submitted proposals to Cheshire East Council to build 900 houses and other facilities on the course.

The proposal is currently scheduled to come before Cheshire East’s Strategic Planning Board on March 18, 2015, though the date has not yet been confirmed.

The Wychwood Community Group fight against the proposals is supported by the Parish council, Weston and Basford, and MP for Crewe and Nantwich, Edward Timpson.