The Cabinet will be considering the suggested revisions to the submitted Local Plan Strategy at their meeting on Tuesday, 21st July, which include a significant increase in the number of proposed new dwellings for Wilmslow.
In November 2014, the Inspector appointed to examine the Local Plan Strategy (LPS) provided the Council with his interim views on the soundness and legal compliance of the submitted document. The Inspector then formally suspended the examination of the LPS to allow the Council to undertake the additional work to address the "serious shortcomings" he raised in his interim views.
The additional work has been undertaken and, as previously agreed, it is now necessary to inform the Inspector of the outcomes of that work and provide him with the related documentation, including the suggested revisions to the submitted Local Plan Strategy to address and rectify the Inspector's criticisms, by the end of July.
These changes include increasing in the number of new homes from 27,000 to 36,000 between 2010 and 2030 and the provision of 380 hectares for employment land, up from 300 hectares, to support 31,400 new jobs by 2030 - this represents a jobs growth rate of around 0.7% per annum. The new homes will be delivered at an average of 1,800 per year.
The number of new homes proposed for Wilmslow has increased from 400 to 900 and the provision of employment land has increased from 8 to 10 hectares.
Whilst in Handforth, including the North Cheshire Growth Village, the number has been revised from 2000 to 2200 dwellings with 22 rather than 10 hectares of employment land.
Alderley Park is also included in the revision, where there could be potential for 200 to 300 new homes.
Should the Cabinet decide to accept the recommendations, the additional evidence and the suggested revisions to the submitted Local Plan Strategy will be sent to the Inspector by 31st July. In addition, the Council is proposing to further engage with stakeholders upon the outcomes of the additional work, including the suggested revisions to the submitted Local Plan Strategy.
However, the Inspector's comments on the Council's latest update (May 2015) state that he remains concerned about the lack of engagement with other parties, including town and parish councils, community and interest groups who he says do not seem to have been involved in decisions about the amount and distribution of new development.
The Inspector also raises a concern about the possible scale and nature of amendments to the submitted plan arising from the work undertaken during the suspension period, particularly as a result of increasing the overall amount of housing and employment land. He also raises the issue of cross-boundary implications and the need to engage with neighbouring authorities.
The report prepared for the Cabinet meeting on 31st July, along with additional evidence can be accessed via the Cheshire East Council website.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Given the substantial increase in the proposed housing and employment figures and the implications these will have for residents across the borough the revisions should be subject to a fully informed and open public consultation and debated by Full Council.
Cllr Toni Fox - Independent
Dean Row Ward
The suggested "revisions", strategy, call it what you wish, will ONLY be going before the cabinet (no doubt well briefed & ordered into line) but NOT to the full council. The political leadership does not believe our elected representatives are to be trusted with such a vital part of the council's long term plans for its residents.
Why no consultations with the public on its revised plans?
Is this democracy at work, Cheshire East style?
CEs growth plans and numbers for the borough are staggering -
Housing - a 33.33% increase; Employment growth - 122% increase;
Employment land - 27% increase
In CE's mind set these are classed as "minor" alterations to the original failed plan! Minor?
Look at the increases, do you believe these are minor changes?
Where does CE believe this growth is coming from?
What methodology has been used to arrive at these figures?
Show us how you have arrived at these "minor" increases? Show us your workings?
RoW will be asking all these questions and more of Cllr Jones & his cabinet again and again until we get substantive and credible answers.
Why do you not ask Cllr Jones your own questions? And again if you do not receive credible answers.
Let's hope for 3 things: -
1) The developments are appropriate to housing needs
2) The developments are supported by appropriate improvements to local services
3) We get on with it ...rather than procrastinating for another 10 years
let the debate begin!
Major alterations to the Local Plan are to be discussed by a cabal in Cabinet and there is no indication it will be the subject of public debate. The Inspector has already queried the restricted nature of the "stakeholder workshops" and on the fact that he has received no minutes or notes from these workshops but only the slide shows given to the participants. Furthermore, he has queried whether parish and town councils have been consulted. Even a cursory look at the new documentation indicates that all the main documentation has significantly changed in scope and numbers. The Cabinet documentation includes an appendix indicating "changes" and a further note on changes omitted from the document on changes. It gets more kafkaesque by the minute.
I welcomed the election of Toni Fox and her commitment on behalf of ROW, however whilst the ruling group on Cheshire East has such a big majority and is very unlikely to lose the support of the electorate in Wilmslow and Alderley Edge I suspect arguments will fall on deaf ears. Perhaps one day through the ballot box the electorate will say no more and we will be listened to.
We don't do Radio Astronomy, Big Data, Nano Materials or Pharma here.
Nor does Handforth.
Our gross value added depends much on commuting, but that won't wash with the Local Plan Inspector, or our MP. The former wants facts on job growth only for the borough and employment/housing needs for local jobs, whilst last week's Productivity Plan document absolutely discourages commuting, ie housing and work close by.
And by making productivity gains, businesses do not need more employees.
Plus, brownfield sites are a priority for national government. Cllr Jones has repeated that.
So we can relax. What could possibly go wrong? Wilmslow Town Council and our CE Cllrs will ensure sensible levels of future development. Local jobs, local housing! Simples ........
Probably a little harsh and sure to stoke a venomous reaction! However the anti development mob (ADM) really do pontificate far too much....it normally starts with "we are not against the right development blah blah". Despite challenging several of these contributors to actually clarify or rather substantiate the notion "we are not against the right development" whilst rejecting everything ranging from a pub refurb, to a car park at Royal London, to change of shop use, to petrol station refurbishments, to old disused council offices being redeveloped ....and and and! You get my point!
Lovely words....very eloquent......admirable some would say! Seriously lacking in substance!
Councillor Jones admitted prior to any public consultations that he wanted to "cash in" on the Green Belt in the north owned by CEC and the figures produced simply do not stack up. In addition there is no provision anywhere to provide any additional infrastructure, be it additional schools, improvements to the road network, or health services to support such proposed growth.
You may want to live in an area that will become a concrete jungle with roads that will the equivalent of a car park, where children have to be shipped miles to go to school and you have to wait weeks for a doctors appointment but I for one do not.
My "idealistic pie" is that we have a Local Plan that is based on actual need supported by non-prejudicial evidence and assessment, and, that is based on Government Policy to protect our Green Belt - not one that is based on the whims and desire of the current leader of Cheshire East Council.
In the Soviet Union there were Stakhanovite medals for those who worked tirelessly in the interests of the State. Perhaps Cheshire East could have similar medals struck? - bearing the image of Councillor Jones on one side and your good self on the other, to commemorate outstanding effort to stifle debate, despite your exortations to the contrary.
What i do know....is that even the smallest reported change, planning application or development that changes, updates or improves 1950's wilmslow attracts widespread condemnation....its both ridiculous and absurd to keep propelling these conspiracy stories. The planning system is a joke (and for not the reasons you and your anti development mob offer)
It's bureaucratic, expensive, cumbersome, dated, restrictive, badly managed, time consuming etc.......it needs to be completely reformed. White paper..green paper....local plan......call them what you will! The problems remain! What a joke!
The government should do more to tackle these issues. We may then get the houses and infrastructure the country so badly needs!
what do you actually mean - the right place at the right time (lovely words)! can you explain to me what development, the nature of the development and location of such a scheme one would support? ......i would attached 3 prerequisites 1) developers exist to make a profit...so yes (hard to accept i know) but it would need to make a profit 2) Has to be economically viable 3) it has to be desirable to prospective purchasers & 4) it needs to be in Wilmslow.
I read a recent post from you & the anti development mob on the retirement development - complaints ranging from building height, parking issues, traffic issues , appearance , lack of transparency etc etc. This site is brownfield and ripe of investment!
The fact is - you and most of your comrades don't like change & don't want development of any nature. You use politics, conspiracy stories and intelligent angles to disguise the real intent. I dont fall for this clap trap! It is incorrect, misguided and idle rhetoric.
Feel free to correct me. Have a great day.
Obviously, the Conservative CEC councillors have either no interest in Wilmslow's future or are brow-beaten to refrain from comment.
Which is it?
It's hardly going to help with the housing crisis now is it.
However, it could seriously damage the rural feel to the town that ensures it's an attractive place to live.
The bit that really stinks for me in all this though is the New Homes Bonus from the government.
This means councils are now in cahoots with developers, so they all make money building new homes. Thus removing the normal checks and balances to over development that the council should be providing.
No wonder people feel angry and powerless about this cosy stitch up with their money.
The real problem for all of Cheshire East's residents is that the Conservative leadership and its follower yes men, believe we still believe their "promises" and downright obfuscation that has been consistently uttered. We've heard it from the horses mouth time after time, it no longer washes. Just as does their continual harping about having a "robust" and a "5 year housing supply".
Hopefully, Wilmslow's deathly quiet Conservative councillors will have discovered both a truly robust 5 years housing supply together with an acceptable Local Plan Strategy somewhere in the long grass..
But don't hold your breath, Jackie.