Graphene-based building technologies, led by Manchester deep-tech firm Concretene, have proven crucial in the decision to award planning consent for a private residential development on green-belt land in Cheshire.
Recently, the Planning Inspectorate found in favour of the appeal by James Murphy, resident of Carlisle House, Warford Lane in Mobberley, against Cheshire East Council’s original decision to deny planning, due to ‘very special circumstances’ relating to the use of novel building materials and the potential to reduce embodied and operational carbon in construction.
The proposed development is a single-storey dwelling within the grounds of Carlisle House; this will become a test-bed and ‘living laboratory’ for the technology deployed in its construction.
Concretene and Vector Labs – two climate-tech companies based at The University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre – gave evidence at the hearing, outlining the performance characteristics of their graphene-based products.
Image: Jeffrery Bell Architects.
Concretene’s carbon-reducing admixture will be used in floor-slab and lightweight concrete cladding applications, with the aim of reducing ~20% of cement. Vector Labs is providing two graphene technologies: moth-proofed sheep-wool insulation and sensors for thermal management.
Planning Inspector Mr R. Hitchcock cited the “potential social, economic and environmental benefits, alongside the compelling evidence of the importance of ‘live’ testing of the performance of graphene-enhanced materials” among his reasons to overturn the initial decision.
As the proposed development is in Green Belt land, the appellants needed to satisfy conditions under Policy PG3 of the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy (CELPS), the Green Belt policy that aims to “prevent urban sprawl, safeguard the countryside, and protect the setting of historic towns”.
The ruling found that the “sustainability and innovative design benefits of the development…. and the contribution to local housing need, when taken together, clearly outweigh the totality of the harm [to the Green Belt] identified. Consequently, the very special circumstances necessary to justify granting planning permission exist and the development is consistent with policy PG3 of the CELPS and the Framework when read as a whole.”
“Adoption of new technologies that drive improvement in the built environment is critical to mitigate the effects of climate change,” said Mike Harrison, CEO of Concretene.
“We are pleased that the planning authority understood this and the significance of graphene in Manchester and the north-west.”
Building work on the project is expected to commence in Q3 2026, with planning conditions stating a commitment to monitor performance of the development’s technology applications for the first 10 years of the building’s occupation.
Liam Britnell, Chief Technical Officer of Vector Labs, said: “We’re very pleased that our technology played our part in securing planning consent.
“This development is not just a building project but a live testbed for how advanced measurement technologies can restore confidence in building performance, raise standards and deliver genuine long-term value,” he added.
