Appeal rethink for Cheshire East?

Cheshire East may now be forced rethink its strategy after a government ruling that it's emerging Local Plan does not a have a five year supply of housing land.

Secretary of State Eric Pickles stepped in give the go-ahead to outline plans by Gladman Developments for up to 280 homes at Abbey Road, Sandbach

The decision report said: "The Secretary of State is of the view that the Council has not demonstrated a five year supply of deliverable housing sites against even the most favourable assessment of the five year housing requirement."

The same view was echoed by a planning inspector who dismissed the council's "optimistic" housing land supply forecast and gave the green light to Taylor Wimpey and Seddon homes to build 160 homes at Congleton Road Sandbach.

Cheshire East won an appeal to stop Gladman building 155 homes at Alsager but this was on the grounds of damage to the open countryside and, like the other appeals, the council's housing land supply strategy came in for sharp criticism.

The decisions have severe implications for Audlem's bid to prevent Gladman Developments building up to 120 houses at Little Heath where Cheshire East is relying heavily on its housing land supply argument.

Cheshire East council leader Michael Jones has not ruled out legal action against these decisions and has accused the government of "moving the goalposts" over the number of homes it says Cheshire East must build over the next five years.

Cheshire planners insist that the council's plan for 7,500 homes should meet the government's five year target.

But the appeal rulings point out that Cheshire East already has a backlog of 1,500 homes it has failed to build in the past and that these should be added to make a total of 9,000 homes.

Mr Jones has commented: "We need to review our exact position. As the Government has said, we've got our 7,500 as our five year supply. They're saying we need to have 9,000."

Without its housing supply strategy undermined it remains to be seen if Cheshire East now will persist with the Gladman appeal on Audlem.

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