Cheshire East Council has submitted proposed changes to its development and planning policies to be examined by an independent planning inspector.
The proposed changes follow four rounds of consultation with residents and local councils, in which they received more than 4,000 comments.
The “site allocation and development policy document” (SADPD) would support Cheshire East Council’s Local Plan Strategy, adopted in 2017.
It would complete the authority’s approved framework for housing, employment and other key infrastructure up to 2030.
The document sets out revised planning policies to guide decisions on planning applications, as well as identifying new sites for small-scale developments.
However, most development needs have already been provided for in the Local Plan Strategy.
The SADPD sets out more detailed planning guidelines, aimed at ensuring new development is of a high quality and is well designed.
Among the revisions are:
● Retention of green belt sites, previously earmarked for development
● Strengthened environmental standards for new development to help tackle climate change
Cllr Mick Warren, chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said: “The site allocations and development policy document would have a central role in guiding planning application decisions and would thus help shape and protect the quality of the places in which we live in our beautiful borough.
“Thank you to everyone who engaged with the consultations and submitted comments.
“The revisions we have made are a direct response to the comments we have received from our residents.
“I believe this has delivered a more robust framework to better equip us to shape and manage sustainable development in Cheshire East.”
The first part of the council’s Local Plan, the Local Plan Strategy, was adopted in July 2017.
It sets out the vision and overall spatial strategy for the borough up to the year 2030.
It includes strategic policies and identifies “strategic sites” across the borough for potential development.
The SADPD is the second part of the Local Plan.
Its purpose is to earmark additional, generally smaller sites to accommodate growth.
This has now been submitted to the Secretary of State for Communities for examination by a planning inspector.
It is expected that the examination will include hearing sessions held in public, possibly remotely depending on Covid restrictions.
Proposed changes from the inspector will have to go through another six-week public consultation.
(Image courtesy of Jonathan White)
I do not agree with green belt sites – predominantly if not exclusively in the north of the borough e.g. round Knutsford – being retained at the expense of yet more development in the south of the borough. We have had enough!
This is promising but when do they say enough is enough? The Land isnt growing, so why should the ‘ growth ‘ factor of overpopulation be accomodated in a rural area?
Weve done our bit and at considerable cost to the environment. It took forever to drive within Stapeley , to take my Car for a clean. Not to mention the problems we have with Drs Appts and other Services.
Can anyone answer ?
Whilst we have an MP who is so busy doing his previous job rather than being an MP it allows his buddies in Westminster to over ride local democracy and build whatever the developers want the council might as well not bother