Cheshire East has started the ball rolling on its new Local Plan which will eventually set the blueprint for development in the borough into the 2040s.
A 12-week consultation is now underway on Cheshire East Council's 'Local Plan issues paper' and feedback is invited from residents, businesses and other organisations about how future planning policies can help to address a wide range of issues.
These include meeting the borough's future housing needs, tackling climate change, providing new jobs, restoring nature and supporting healthier lifestyles.
Views are also invited on a number of other draft reports that will help inform the content of the new Local Plan, including about the availability of land for future development.
The consultation can be found here: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/newlocalplan The deadline for responding is 5pm on Monday 1 July 2024.
Councillor Mick Warren, chair of Cheshire East Council's environment and communities committee, said: "A Local Plan sets out how new development should take place in the future and shows what sort of development is acceptable and where, for example homes, business growth and infrastructure.
"The current Cheshire East Local Plan runs to 2030 and last year, the council decided that a new one should be prepared to replace it.
"We're still waiting for the Government to release full details of the changes they are making to the way future local plans must be prepared, as part of its reforms to the planning system, and we are some way off publishing any draft policies and proposals for the borough.
"But the issues paper is the first important step in preparing our new local plan and provides an initial opportunity for local communities to tell us through the consultation how they feel it could help to tackle local priorities.
"The other documents we are consulting on, while more technical in nature, are still important to how our borough is shaped in future, and I'd encourage people to share their views on those too."
The new Local Plan will take several years to prepare and will be shaped by several rounds of public consultation.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
It is not their job to tackle climate change, provide private sector jobs (we have far too many public sector as is) or support healthier lifestyles ( where is the Will’o’the wisp Matt).
Re climate change. Before any of the councillors who are adherents of the new religion impose more costly inconveniences on those who pay their salaries other than economies in energy use and cutting pollution can we impose the following on them
No motor vehicles of any kind.
Before involvement in any of this planning they confirm they have installed domestic heat pumps, do not have any type of second home, do not take any flights for any reason, do not consume imported veggie food, do not own pets, restrict internet usage etc etc. They can then claim to be leading by example!
Well, Simon, they probably could if the Tories hadn't pulled most of the funding to local authorities for local road maintenance under 'Austerity' year-on-year since 2010.
But sadly, it's what people voted for.
If you voted for it, don't moan about potholes. If you didn't vote for it, you know who to blame.
At RoW we encourage everyone to engage in this public consultation and any that follow. Engage with us too at the Artisan Market or via our various contacts. Our Green Belt will be at risk again and we must be together to protect as much of it as is possible.