The Government has offered to send experts to assist Cheshire East Council with their Local Plan.
Planning Minister, Nick Boles announced during a parliamentary debate on Thursday, 24th October, that he will sending experts from his department, which could include the former Chief Planning Inspector, to assist CEC with their Local Plan which will guide development up to 2030.
The announcement came after David Rutley, MP for Macclesfield, raised concerns about issues relating to the latest developments with the Local Plan that could have a lasting impact on the shape of our communities.
David asked the Planning Minister, MP Nick Boles, whether Cheshire East Council and other councils across the country were actually required to set out how they would achieve indicative house building targets to 2050, rather than just focus on the current 2030 Local Plan time horizon.
He pointed out that any requirement to achieve 2050 targets would lead to large areas of Green Belt being so-called 'safeguarded' for development, including land in Poynton and south-west Macclesfield, where up to 3,000 houses could be developed. David went on to say that he was very concerned that this approach could also lead to hundreds of local residents becoming victims of planning blight.
Other land identified for safeguarding in the latest document, the Pre-submission Core Strategy, includes 26 hectares of Safeguarded Land off Prestbury Road, 14 hectares off Upcast Lane and 26 hectares adjacent to the proposed North Cheshire Growth Village in Handforth East.
Nick Boles replied stating that the planning horizon was definitely to 2030 and that there were no requirements to plan beyond this period.
He said, "Anybody who is suggesting that there is any requirement to safeguard land for the future development between 2030 and 2050 is getting it wrong."
The Minister added that he would send relevant experts from his department, which might include the former Chief Planning Inspector, to Cheshire East to assist with this important task.
Campaigners who are continuing their fight to protect Wilmslow's green spaces from development have welcomed this news.
Residents of Wilmslow (RoW) have written to the Planning Minister, Nick Boles to request a meeting with the appointed Chief Planning Inspector and to ask whether the consultation on the draft Core Strategy should be postponed whilst the document is reviewed.
RoW have requested that the Planning Inspector: examines the democratic process surrounding the preparation of the Pre-Submission Core Strategy; considers difficulties members of the public have in reviewing research documents; considers the potential cost to the Borough should the current Core Strategy be rejected by the Planning Inspector for failing to address issues raised by local interest groups and councillors and establishes that due process has been followed in meeting the requirements of the Localism Act.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
"The public doesn't know anything about wasting government money. We are the experts."
Sir Humphrey Appleby 1981
So RoW, unlike above....... lets hope Fiction doesn't become fact with these 'experts'....... Let common sense,appropriate pressure, dialogue and clear understanding prevail !!.....
Does this mean that individuals at Cheshire East will have to take responsibility? That would be a first.
At a meeting last week Adrian Fisher, head of Cheshire East Council planning department, clarified certain announcements by Nick Boles which have been incorrectly reported as suggesting that a senior government expert will be seconded to assist Cheshire East with its Local Plan. What was actually said was a general offer to all councils that they can seek advice on policy from a recently retired senior government inspector.
See below Fiona's full Commons speech and her letter to constituents -http://bit.ly/HzO9Ur
David Rutley, MP for Macclesfield also spoke in the same debate, raising similar concerns to Fiona's.
Two local Cheshire East M.Ps have very publicly voiced their disquiet and concerns with Cheshire East Council's Local Plan Pre-Submission Core. Should these two Members' concerns not add to our misgivings over the way CE is riding roughshod over local opinions, discounting those which do not fit its agenda and not always putting into practice those which senior members have promised?
Prize Question: Who did not speak for us on this highly contentious issue?
The winner will receive 2 free tickets to view one of Wilmslow's threatened green belt sites.
Maybe we should raise this matter with our MEP? Nick Griffin. No wonder I have had enough of politicians, of every stripe.
Where is George Osborne in all this? No where.