Residents are being asked to comment on another document which will influence where potential new houses can be built.
The people of Wilmslow are currently being asked to have their say on the Draft Wilmslow Vision document which could result in hundreds of homes being built on Green Belt land around the town.
Hundreds of local residents have attended meetings across the town during the past couple of weeks, to voice their anger and concern that up 1500 new homes could be built in Wilmslow by 2030.
The results of the Wilmslow Vision consultation, which ends of May 31st, will form part of a collection of documents and assessments which will be considered by the Council when they put together the Cheshire East Local Plan - which will replace the Macclesfield Local Plan in 2013.
This week Cheshire East Council has launched another consultation on a Revised Interim Planning Policy which the Council says will enable it to exercise more control over potential new housing developments.
The document provides an interim planning policy to release land for housing development in order to maintain a sufficient supply of land over the next five years, which is a Government requirement.
The Council does not currently have a 5 year supply which means they remain vulnerable on appeal to speculative planning applications on sites where the Council would not necessarily wish to see development take place.
The proposed Revised Interim Planning Policy on the Release of Housing Land continues to seek to focus new development on suitable greenfield sites around Crewe, however, the revision to the policy now also looks to allow for the release of small sustainable sites on the edge of other towns in the Borough.
The Revised Interim Planning Policy proposes that development also be permitted adjacent to the settlement boundary of Macclesfield, Wilmslow and Handforth as well as seven other key service centres provided the site is not within the green belt, is very closely linked to the existing built framework, is self-contained, is accessible by walking to a wide range of local services and is capable of being developed within 5 years.
The sites should also be less than a hectare in size, not represent a sub division of a larger site and will not pre-empt the future scale and direction of development of the town.
Councillor David Brown, Cabinet member with responsibility for performance and capacity, said: "The provision of suitable housing for its residents is one of the Council's top priorities and this document will help us achieve our objectives.
"We need new homes to assist the economic growth of Cheshire East. As we know, the economic downturn has had a significant impact on levels of new house building and we need to provide more new homes to aid the wider economic recovery.
"This is all part of our key objective to grow and develop a sustainable Cheshire East."
The draft Revised Interim Planning Policy on the Release of Housing Land was approved for consultation by the Council's Cabinet last month. The public consultation period for this document began on May 1st and will run until May 29th.
Copies of the consultation document are available on the Council's website and at the Council Offices at Westfields, Sandbach.
What do you think about the Revised Interim Planning Policy?, share your views via the comment box below.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
I feel it is worth letting your readers know that over the past week or so a large number of brownfield sites have been identified in Wilmslow, Handforth and Alderley Edge, on which at least 1,146 new dwellings could be built. This figure is way above the 500 units suggested in the Vision document for Wilmslow. However, that figure is highly questionable. How did the consultants arrive at a convenient and rounded 500?
It surely follows that brownfield areas must be the first to be considered for home development, rather than spoiling for ever Green Belt and greenfield areas around Wilmslow, Handforth and Alderley Edge. CEC should and must be telling developers that all Green Belt development is off the agenda as adequate brownfields are available to them. We know they don't want the extra costs of using brownfields, preferring the low cost option of easy to develop virgin fields. Tough!
However it will be the present and future generations of Wilmslow's residents who will be paying the high costs of cheap Green Belt and greenfields development, in forms of traffic density, over stretched and inadequate social infrastructure, increased pollution, reduction in quality of life, unsustainability etc. Whilst the developers make hay at our expense!
The simple answer to both "consultations" is "No, No, No" to all Green Belt and greenfield development proposals, only brownfield sites to be considered.
both my partner and I live and work in wilmslow and currently live in rented accomodation. We need new housing schemes like this in order to get an opportunity to buy our own home in the area.
We do not come from a wealthy background and so it is incredibly difficult for us to build up a minimum of a 10% deposit when taking in to account the cost of rent and living in wilmslow.
As people that work and live in wilmslow and contribute to the local economy we DESERVE the opportunity to own a home in the area, and new build schemes like this are our only opportunity.
Sadly Simon may find it hard to raise the money for one of the new houses in Wilmslow because land prices are so high. I have every sympathy with him. Many of us living here could not now afford to buy our own homes at present day valuations.