Handforth has a population of approximately 9,800 persons1 and is now beginning to think of itself as a town rather than a village. It was formerly surrounded by land (principally to the east and west) identified by Cheshire East Council (CEC) as being of great importance to the purposes of the greenbelt. However, under the latest CEC Local Plan, much of this land is now to be used for housing. For example a new housing development (250 homes) called The Fairways is being constructed on the west side of Handforth. A large area on the east side of Handforth parish was formerly farmland and the site of an RAF Maintenance Unit (RAF 61MU). This area will become the site of one of the 14 national (Government-sponsored) Garden Villages and will include, inter alia, 1500 new homes. At the eastern end of Hall Road two new housing developments are under construction. These include a gated community (108 new homes) called The Sanctuary and the Sun Field estate (175 new homes). Most Handforth residents dwell in the urban area (e.g. the Spath Lane, Knowle Park, Windermere Road, Hallwood Road and Woodlands Road estates) but some live in what currently remains of the rural area (e.g. Blossom’s Lane) to the east of the village.
1Census 2021