Hundreds of new homes have been given the green light in Widnes, despite the town’s top police officer criticising a decision not to award his force any money from the deal to service increased demand.

Halton Council’s Development Management Committee unanimously rubber-stamped plans by Redrow for two new estates on farmland in the north of the town.

The first - Mill Green Farm to the south of Mill Green Lane – will consist of 428 properties, while the second – Oak Villa – will see 51 homes built to the south of South Lane, bringing the total to 479 new properties.

Cheshire Police had asked for a contribution of £115,139 to be included in the section 106 agreement – a legal deal which developers and councils sign to offset impact on things like infrastructure, roads and loss of green space. But the request was knocked back.

Addressing members of the committee at Runcorn Town Hall last night, Chief Inspector Shaun Pyke, head of  Widnes Local Policing Unit (LPU), said the two new estates would increase the town’s population by 'around 1,200', which would place an extra strain on constabulary manpower.

He said: “These proposed developments will place a permanent, ongoing demand on the force which will stretch existing resources.

"We believe it's completely unacceptable and plainly not in the public interest for developments to be granted planning permission without providing any reasonable mitigation for the negative impacts they directly cause to the police service.” His comments received a round of applause from objectors gathered in the public gallery.

But committee member Cllr Dave Thompson said that policing should be funded by central government, and by Cheshire Constabulary’s own precept – the portion of Council Tax which all residents must pay to help fund the force. He pointed out that the constabulary’s precept had risen this year by 6.4 per cent - £15 per year for a Band D property in Halton, with part of the reasoning having been given at the time being 'Cheshire's growing population'.

He said: “Cheshire Police now seem to be making requests for Section 106 money all of a sudden on applications. But my understanding is that most local planning authorities across the country have not been doing this. It seems to be a recent trend which seems to have developed just because of the sheer pressure that the police force is under.”

He added: “Where do you draw the line? Because Cheshire Fire Service - which has never asked for a penny - could say the same thing, as could other services as well.”

The two new sites used to be protected by the Green Belt – a zone where construction was highly restricted to act as a buffer against urban encroachment into the countryside – but those protections were removed last year when the council voted  unanimously to approve its latest delivery and allocations local plan (DALP,) a blueprint which set out the borough’s planning policy up to 2037. With the area instead being earmarked for housing.

Council bosses said at the time the move was necessary due to a lack of previously developed brownfield land needed to fulfil the borough's housing requirements. But 154 objections had been received citing concerns including lack of infrastructure. There were also objectors in attendance at last night's meeting, with two local residents speaking against the scheme, but the plans were eventually passed unanimously.