Cheshire East debates Local Plan blueprint

Cheshire East is to hold a special meeting to discuss its Local Plan strategy which sets out land use across the borough until 2030.

Members of the Strategic Planning Board meet next Thursday, September 26th, to thrash out the main issues of its blueprint Local Plan.

The planning blueprint, three years in the making, sets out proposals for new housing estates, employment sites, road projects, schools and green spaces.

Cheshire East is in a hurry to get its Local Plan approved and in place before the end of the year in a bid to head off a number of speculative housing developments.

A report to councillors warns: "The Council has made considerable progress in the production of a Local Plan ... but in the absence of a plan-led approach, the planning authority is becoming increasingly vulnerable to speculative planning applications for major housing and employment sites."

Cheshire East already faces a large number of applications for housing estates with many already subject to appeal or legal challenge, including plans for up to 120 homes on the outskirts of Audlem.

Of particular interest to Audlem is how the council intends to meet government targets for housing supply over the next five years.

Key elements of the planning blueprint are Cheshire East's aim to concentrate new housing developments in Crewe and Macclesfield and to create new planned settlements rather than to expand existing ones like Audlem.

The Local Plan blueprint shows Crewe being earmarked for 6,850 of the 28,550 new houses to be built by 2030. Closer to home, Nantwich is earmarked for 1,250 new homes, mostly to the north-west of the town between the new Weaver Stadium and the A51.

Reports to councillors include details of petitions from Audlem opposing speculative 'land grab' developments including the Gladman scheme at Little Heath.

The next stage in adopting the Local Plan is the publication of the Core Strategy followed by a six week period to receive any formal representations when it will be submitted to the Secretary of State.

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