The Local Plan Strategy, previously known as the Core Strategy, was voted on and passed through full Council on Friday, February 28th.
It has been almost three years in the making and has been publicly consulted on six times. It is due to go before the Planning Inspectorate in Spring this year and the Council hopes that it will be ratified before the end of the year.
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles MP has written to the leader of Cheshire East Council saying "I am glad that you have found helpful discussions with Planning Minister Nick Boles and the support that we have provided on plan-making via the former Chief Planning Inspector."
He added: "The Government's changes to legislation and policy have put Local Plans at the heart of the planning system. Our policy sets out clearly that emerging plans may gain weight as they progress but before they are formally adopted.
"A published Local Plan will therefore mean that Cheshire East is better able to guard against speculative or unwanted development. I appreciate the development pressures and planning constraints in the area, and would therefore openly encourage developers to work alongside you as your plan progresses in order to bring forward appropriate development."
Eric Pickles continued "Although I cannot pre-determine the outcome of examination, I very much welcome that you have established a revised housing figure, your statement that the emerging Local Plan will protect the countryside and the green belt and your engagement with neighbouring High Peak Borough Council."
Leader of the Council Michael Jones said: "I am delighted to have received a letter from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, where he confirms that emerging local plans like ours gain weight as they progress, helping guard against unwanted and unsustainable development.
"It just goes to show that the hard work involved in getting the Local Plan to fruition has been recognised by our Government.
"I am proud to be leader of Cheshire East Council at a time when we are overseeing the Local Plan process which has been hard at times but, all-in-all, a challenge that will serve our future generations extremely well.
"We have managed to preserve our countryside and even extend the greenbelt in southern parts of the borough, as well as meeting the housing targets required by central government.
"I'm delighted that the Council has now passed the Local Plan and satisfied that it is a robust and exhaustive piece of work. It is the culmination of 37,000 public responses during six rounds of consultation. It will lay out a blueprint for sustainable, jobs-led growth across Cheshire East for the next 15 years.
"Developers should take note of this and work with the council on sensible, sustainable proposals."
Click here to view the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy document.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Was Mr Pickles talking about the same Local Plan as Cheshire East agreed? Protect the countryside - how many hectares of countryside are to be lost? Protect the Green Belt? Which Green Belt would that be? - the actual Green Belt or the new Green Belt as defined by CEC? Working with High Peak? - what about working with Stockport who are building masses of houses at Woodford.
As the common expression goes: "It ain't over until the fat lady sings".
"The NPPF is very clear about brown field sites first.
The required figure for Wilmslow is 400 units by 2030. We are surrounded by Green Belt so should be protected from development unless special circumstances apply. Given the figures I update weekly and share with Cheshire East, most of which are agreed and included in the 5 year supply, the current figure already identified for Wilmslow is well over 200 units. Half-way there in less than 4 years.Add to this the registered applications (without Adlington Road) mixed sites offering brown curtilage, further identified windfall sites and the figure exceeds 600 units.
This core strategy seeks to build 200 units on Adlington Rd (cs25, p308) and 75 on land behind Royal London (cs26, p311) thus the likely figure for units built in Wilmslow by 2030 is over 900, 500 more than the required figure and 500 towards the 657 identified on land to be safeguarded. (Prestbury Road cs35, p3390 and west of Upcast Lane cs36, p341)
In this calculation are approximately 100 units possible on brown sites in the Green Belt that should be used. RoW and local councilors agree to smaller sites being developed. They spread the load on existing infra-structure. Even though we are told brown sites are expensive and create problems developers are snapping these up and draw up plans as soon as they become available. (Peat Bog Workings, Ned Yates Garden Centre and Beech farm on Moor Lane are just three examples)
Wilmslow’s 400 can be achieved within the defined period on brown sites. There is no need to develop Adlington Road or Royal London. If this happens then there is no need to safeguard the land at the two sites. It is over provision. It is unnecessary destruction of the Green belt.
Can the necessary funding for this plan ever be secured???? But the critical point is whether there is a realistic prospect of securing necessary infrastructure. Upcast Lane is a glaring example with Moor Lane as the only likely route into Wilmslow. Not possible."
It may well be of interest for people to read that Councillor Brendan Murphy, Tytherington, tabled an amendment removing all of the Wilmslow sites from the plan as it has been clearly demonstrated there are sufficient brown sites to meet all of our needs up to 2030 and beyond. On being asked to vote on this amendment three of our councillors then joined all of their Conservative colleagues in voting against. The fourth could not vote having declared an interest.
RoW will continue to monitor the housing figures for Wilmslow and the availability of brown sites. In due course we will present our figures to the Government Inspector and hope this person will agree with our findings and save Wilmslow from pointless destruction of our Green Belt.
Please read the latest update in the Daily Telegraph today.
http://bit.ly/1jVTiUW
He must have been listening to the Residents of Wilmslow. And there's a chance that the River Bollin will not be polluted, thus saving the new migrations of sea trout and salmon.
National government listens, so why isn't CEC? Not long to May 2015. Can't wait!
"It may well be of interest for people to read that Councillor Brendan Murphy, Tytherington, tabled an amendment removing all of the Wilmslow sites from the plan as it has been clearly demonstrated there are sufficient brown sites to meet all of our needs up to 2030 and beyond. On being asked to vote on this amendment three of our councillors then joined all of their Conservative colleagues in voting against. The fourth could not vote having declared an interest."
This is very much of interest- can you say which of our three elected representatives voted against the express wishes of the vast majority of respondents to the various "consultations" concerning building on Green Belt? Can you also say which representative declared an interest and what that interest is? Thanks for drawing this important matter to our notice. Things like this need to be remembered at the time of the forthcoming elections.