Planning chiefs are poised to back plans for hundreds of new homes on Widnes farmland.

Developer Miller Homes has submitted proposals for 328 properties to the north of Lunt’s Heath Road on 39 acres of land that was formerly in the protected green belt.

Initial plans for 317 properties had been submitted last summer but have since been revised upwards. A total of 71 objections to the original plan were received, along with 17 for  the revised scheme.

The site is bound by Lunt’s Heath Road to the south and the junction of Watkinson Way (A557), with the dual carriageway to the north of the site providing access to the M62 motorway network.

The proposed estate includes one, two, three, four and five bedroom properties. In order to comply with national policy, of the 328 homes, 66 will be classed as ‘affordable’, with a mix of rented and shared ownership, as well as ‘first homes’ – properties with their initial market value capped at £250k.

The scheme is one of several new estates and more than a thousand new homes planned in Widnes following the approval of a new Delivery and Allocations Local Plan (DALP) by councillors last year.

The move effectively redrew the boundaries of the borough’s green belt – a legal buffer zone between the countryside and urban areas where large housing developments were prohibited.

A report to Halton Council’s Development Management Committee – which is set to meet on Monday – recommended members delegate powers to the operational director for planning, chair and vice chair of the committee to rule once they are satisfied minor highways amendments have been made and further comment s received.

The report said there were insufficient brownfield areas - sites which have previously been built on - to satisfy new housing requirements.

It said: “The green belt in Halton has been very successful in containing the expansion of the urban areas and encouraging the re-use of brownfield land.

“However, the remaining supply of brownfield land is no longer sufficient to meet the development needs for Halton over the plan period."

Cheshire Police – which objected to two previous developments by Redrow in the North of the town last month, citing pressures on its resources – has not objected this time, but called for a contribution of almost £80k - this is recommended to be rejected by the committee.