Up to nine new homes could be built in the open countryside in a South Cheshire village.

DJR Partnership Limited Retirement Benefits Scheme has applied for permission in principle (PIP) to develop land to the west of Sheppenhall Lane at Aston near Nantwich.

A planning statement submitted by Emery Planning on behalf of the applicant says: "The site has direct and established access from Sheppenhall Lane.

"There are agricultural fields to the west of the site, a dwelling to the south (Rose Mount), and a group of existing dwellings to the north, which are part of Aston village.

"Aston is in an accessible location, situated approximately 2-3km from the larger settlement of Wrenbury, which provides a range of services and facilities including a primary school, village shop, doctors' surgery and a church.

"The site is well served by public transport including bus routes between Aston and Wrenbury."

The application is for permission in principle – a two-stage mechanism for obtaining planning approval for housing development.

The first stage, which is being applied for now, is to establish whether the site is suitable in principle.

The scope at this first stage is limited to the location, land use and amount of development.

If PIP is granted, the site must receive a grant of technical details consent before development can proceed.

The planning statement from Emery says Aston has previously been found to be sustainable and accessible in recent local planning authority decision-making 'and more notably within planning appeal decisions'.

It says Cheshire East is unable to demonstrate a five-year housing supply, 'and the policies that are envisaged to be the most important for determining any future application are currently out-of-date'.

It adds: "When determined under the remit of a stage one of a PIP application, the application for up to nine dwellings demonstrates significant economic, social and environmental benefits, through the outcomes of the provision of much-needed housing stock.

"Balanced against these benefits, no significant adverse harm can be identified."

The application, number 25/2737/PIP, can be viewed on the planning portal on Cheshire East's Council's website.

The last date for submitting comments is September 3.