Cheshire East Council will consult on their Development Strategy next month.
The document sets out the overall number of homes and jobs which will be required in Cheshire East over the next 20 years and identifies sites for development.
As reported at the beginning of the month, two of these proposed sites are in Wilmslow and Cheshire East's recommendation differ from those in the Wilmslow Town Strategy which the Town Council recently produced.
Speaking about the recommendations for Wilmslow, Deputy Leader Cllr David Brown said "Cheshire East has been in constant dialogue with its residents over the past two years and it's clear that across the Borough people are against development for development's sake.
"Accordingly, what we have endeavoured to do is prepare a Development Strategy which offers a holistic view for the planning of the area, whilst taking on board many residents thoughts and comments.
"This is a consultation document which delivers our much vaunted five-year supply and at last offers a shield against unwanted, unplanned and unsustainable development.
"In Wilmslow, the previous town strategy provoked considerable concern and many people said that 1,500 homes were too many for a town surrounded by greenbelt. We have listened to these views and have arrived at an approach which strikes the right balance between meeting future needs and maintaining a high-quality environment.
"In line with the revised strategy we therefore propose that 400 homes be built in the town over the next 20 years. We can achieve this by also proposing that a planned and sustainable new settlement is built East of Handforth. This will ensure there is a range of good new housing in the locality without impinging on overloaded local infrastructure. I believe this 'greenbelt swap' allows us to preserve the essential character of Wilmslow, but without denying vital opportunities to our children.
"Whilst much of the development we need can be accommodated in this way, we must also ensure Wilmslow remains a thriving place to live and work. Wilmslow is not an industrial town and so has very limited derelict and brownfield land available. To allow for modest growth in employment and housing close to the town centre we propose that around 2Ha of new business space be allocated next to the Royal London site, together with land for about 75 new homes. We also propose that land at Addlington Road, long reserved for future development, be now brought forward to provide a good mix of new homes of a density and character suitable for the location.
"Finally, a key purpose of the Development Strategy is to identify a five-year supply of housing land so we can meet our housing obligations – and we will be doing the necessary technical work over the next few weeks to provide a robust case to underpin future decision making.
"This strategy will be published for consultation early in the new year. We feel we have listened already to many people's views – but we still want to learn and understand more and obtain different perspectives on these issues. Where there are difficult decisions to be made I will be meeting residents and others personally to fully understand the concerns.
"Overall I believe this to be a plan which keeps the best of what we all cherish about our towns and villages, whilst also providing for a successful and prosperous future for us all. I therefore urge you to let us know your views when the consultation starts in mid-January."
Comments
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Let's hope this wasn't done for political expediency of selling Cheshire East land to finance projects in the south of the authority or worst still because Handforth does the unspeakable and elects ratepayer councillors and so their are no council seats to be lost by the ruling group as their could be in Wilmslow...........perish the thought!