Cheshire East Borough is required to find land for 27,000 new homes for the 2010-2030 Local Plan. Campaigning by Wilmslow Conservative Councillors has ensured that the Plan recommends only 400 houses for our town over the 20 year period of the plan. This is a sensible result under intense pressure from developers seeking the building of more than 1,300 homes. However, this does not mean that the hard work is over.
Cheshire East is in continuous dialogue with central Government to underline our desire to protect green spaces. We therefore noted with interest recent comments in Parliament from Planning Minister Nick Boles MP. We are waiting for clarification on his statement, but whole-heartedly welcome his suggestion that Councils should not be required to identify large sections of land to be 'Safeguarded' for development beyond the life of the current Local Plan.
The Minister's statement also highlights the complicated and constantly moving legal framework that local Councils are forced to work in when developing planning strategies. This is a situation that is deeply frustrating for residents and Councillors alike as we all seek to do the best we can for Wilmslow and the rest of Cheshire East.
Whilst we wait for clarification of the Minister's statement, Wilmslow's Conservative Councillors remain fully aware of the need to continue to campaign to ensure that the all important ring of Green Belt land around Wilmslow remains intact.
Current guidance states that the local plan is obliged to identify 'Safeguarded' land for potential development after 2030. However, we are strongly opposed to large blocks of Green Belt being highlighted as 'Safeguarded'. The last local plan and the proposed new plan both acknowledge that 400 houses over 20 years is a reasonable number for Wilmslow. Therefore, there is no justification for safeguarding land large enough to build well in excess of 400 houses in any future plan. We also believe that areas for future development should be small pockets of land evenly distributed around Wilmslow. No single area in our town should be expected to accept more than its fair share of development.
Wilmslow's Conservative Cheshire East Councillors and Wilmslow Town Council have met with planning officers to express our belief that the lack of consultation on 'Safeguarded' land undermines the democratic value of the local plan. As a result of this pressure, there is further consultation on potential sites for development in Wilmslow after 2030 and other aspects of the plan. Cheshire East has delayed its final decision on the local plan until 2014.
The Pre-submission Core Strategy is published and open to public consultation November 5th to December 16th. We urge all residents to have their say to help us protect Wilmslow's Green Belt beyond 2030.
We are extremely grateful for the work conducted by various local groups around Wilmslow that has strengthened our hand when promoting Wilmslow's cause. Wilmslow Conservatives remain committed to public consultation on all planning and development matters that will have a significant impact on our town.
Member post by Cheshire East Councillors: Gary Barton, Wesley Fitzgerald, Rod Menlove, Don Stockton and Paul Whiteley.
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protect from harm or damage with an appropriate measure.
Funny, there was me thinking that building houses on a field would cause it irreversible harm. Still, it's a good job it's "Safeguarded" then.
Oh, but wait a minute.
I forgot our council and planning department work for the developers and as the Coppice Way development shows, they are more interested in how much they can charge developers for granting planning permission than protecting our open fields.
So how about dropping these weasel words and call Safeguarded land "Future Development" land, which is a more appropriate description? Then people will better understand the long-term and underhand methods planners use to build on our open spaces.
The local Conservative spin on "Safeguarded Land" again hides the truth. What it means is land being removed from the Greenbelt or green space in order to build on it. When is not important, it becomes available for development from the moment it is declared. It is only a matter of luck that land at Adlington Road safeguarded 20 years ago has not been built on already. It is now down for 225 units that are not required. So local Conservative councillors tell CEC you are opposed to any development of houses on Adlington Road at any time. It has a green history. It is not required. You do not accept it is a requirement to have land at Prestbury Road and land behind Upcast Lane/Cumber Lane/Lindow Fold drive taken out of the Greenbelt to be safeguarded for future development. Stand up and tell them.
We need strong and assertive leadership for Wilmslow that spells out to those who will destroy us what is wanted and what will not be accepted. What we have at the moment are local Conservative councillors who are not giving us this. There is always spin, there is always what they want the people to know. We are always left with a feeling they are actually supportive of their political masters but are trying hard not to show it.
..... Wilmslow Conservatives remain committed to public consultation on all planning and development matters that will have a significant impact on our town ....
Consultation on all matters please, as it is our democratic right. Not just significant ones.
(Moving the Goal posts? to seek a different result ????) The Setting of such deadlines, for personal convenience, ( I hope not for land developers convenience ) ....... and not representing RoW views must surely be a contrary example of the true intentions of those in power here. Keeping the people divided and fractionalised. But for what RoW purpose?
Political language — (and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists) — is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. Eric Arthur Blair @George Orwell of Wigan made comment on this many years ago, and after Neil Hamilton, MPs expenses scandal etc. I hope this is not the tipping point for some wider malfeasance
174 Jones Homes houses on green field in Handforth have just been approved to add to the adjacent care home Development off Coppice Way (in which Jones also have an interest). The Local Authority also remain determined to sell "Handforth Meadows" which is land on the opposite side of the A34 (near Total Fitness) with a view to an eventual 2300 homes.
The A34 Handforth/Wilmslow bypass (if it can still be called a bypass) is already choc-a-bloc around peak hours - it is unclear how the transport and other infrastructure of Wilmslow area would cope with this and the plans for over 800 homes in neighbouring Woodford.
With the Green Belt separation gone, Handforth will have merged, sprawl wise, into Gt. Manchester. The Gt Manchester councils' next step will be to attempt a land grab of not only Handforth but Wilmslow, Alderley, Poynton, Disley etc, a replay of 1974. Cheshire East will be unable to resist government attempts to "rationalise" the onward southern growth of Gt. Manchester.
The frightening element is that Cheshire East Council and its political leaders just do not have the nous to see and understand the threat they are making to their own empire.
Wake up Councillors Michael Jones and David Brown before you shoot yourselves in your feet and the people of north Cheshire in the back.
According to Wikipedia, Handforth was incorporated into Wilmslow in 1936 and, due to being part of Wilmslow, successfully objected from being part of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester when it was formed in 1974.
According the very informative maps on the Cheshire East web site Handforth, Finney Green, Wilmslow Park and Dean Row were part of Wilmslow North until May 2011. Styal and Lacey Green were part of Wilmslow South.
All are within the Wilmslow Local Partnership.
Subsequently, in terms of the Cheshire East constituencies, Wilmslow South has been split in to Wilmslow Lacey Green, that includes Styal, and Wilmslow West. Wilmslow North has been split into Handforth (includes Finney Green and Blue Bell area) and Wilmslow Dean Row (includes Wilmslow Park and the cemetery on Manchester Rd). Finney Green, east and west of the Manchester Road north of the Stannylands Road and both Blue Bell showrooms are within Handforth.
It is of note that area D and part of area H of the potential Handforth Development Options of the Draft Handforth Town Strategy Consultation are actually part of Styal (and Wilmslow Lacey Green).
In terms of the parish boundaries Handforth is defined as being north of the Dean River. As a consequence Handforth cannot be clearly and unambiguously defined. This is only of significance were Handforth to be independent of Wilmslow and when it comes to voting in local elections and when S106 funds are distributed. For example can money set aside for Handforth be spent in Finney Green. Handforth is no more independent of Wilmslow than Styal or Dean Row.
Speaking of Dean Row, Dean Row has a lower population, rate of social housing and rate of unemployment when compared with Handforth. If there is to be significant house building, including low cost or social housing, east of the Wilmslow by-pass should it not become part of Dean Row? Handforth has more than its fair share. Again it is only of significance were Handforth to be independent of Wilmslow.
The Wilmslow Express and Wilmslow.co.uk provide a service to the whole of Wilmslow including Styal, Handforth and Dean Row.
Plans to build at Knowle House, south of Coppice Way, east of the Wilmslow by-pass and north of the Adlington Road and the retention of green space between Cheshire and Greater Manchester should be the concern of all Wilmslow residents.
I'm more than pleased that "Campaigning by Wilmslow Conservative Councillors has ensured that the Plan recommends only 400 houses for our town over the 20 year period of the plan".