Ground investigations will be taking place later this month on the site of the planned Garden Village at Handforth.

The surveys on the site, which is to the east of Handforth, are due to start on Monday 17 February and last for around eight weeks.

They will include land and drainage surveys, as well as samples being taken from the ground and will be carried out by Balfour Beatty on behalf of the council.

The findings will support the preliminary design works of the scheme, construction of which is planned to begin by September 2026.

Planning permission was granted back in September 2023 for the development of a new garden village on the east side of Handforth, developed as a sustainable new settlement incorporating high quality design.

The aspiration is that the village will provide 1,500 new homes together with new employment space, a village centre, extra care accommodation, a new school for ages 5 to 16, a community hub with sports facilities, green spaces and provisions for walking and cycling.

During the surveys, some areas of the site will be cordoned off for safety, and there will also be some traffic management in place for short periods.

Councillor Michael Gorman says the surveys are an important step in delivering the garden village site (Cheshire East Council).

Councillor Michael Gorman, chair of Cheshire East Council's economy and growth committee, said: "I would like to thank residents and those visiting the area for their patience while the surveys over the next few weeks take place.

"This is an important step towards delivering on our ambitions for the Garden Village site, which includes 1,500 new homes, new employment space, a village centre, extra care accommodation, a new school, a community hub and green space for the local community to enjoy.

"Significant progress to drive the scheme forward has been made over the last year, and an update on its delivery will be considered at the March meeting of the council's economy and growth committee."

While the ground investigations are carried out, traffic management will impact the A34, access to Total Fitness, Long Mile Drive and Coppice Way. There will also be a one-day closure of the route to Tesco via dumbbell roundabout. Traffic will be diverted to the main roundabout.

There will be no full road closures, lane closures or temporary signals in place.

The Council owns approximately 70 per cent of the site and over the coming months, will be working towards the delivery of the development parcels initial infrastructure.

The delivery of the whole village is expected to take about 12 to 15 years to complete.

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