Local MP's view of housing proposal

AudlemOnline has received an email from local MP Stephen O'Brien in response to a constituent's query about his attitude to the proposed housing development at Little Heath. He says:

Thank you for your email outlining your concerns about the proposed planning application in Audlem.

I am as alarmed as you are about the potential for our precious countryside, not least here in Eddisbury, being sacrificed without thought to the needs of growth. Like you I am not against growth – anything but. However, I am strongly in favour of appropriate and only appropriate growth and development which is commensurate in maintaining community cohesion with infrastructures and services that the towns and villages which I represent in Eddisbury need and are characterised by.

The Government's policy appears to presume that all the new Localism laws and regulations are already in place – but in Cheshire, following the abominable abolition of the previous 6 Borough and one County local authorities (over my dead body despite huge campaigns against) replaced by the imposition of the two unitary Authorities by the last Labour Government means that we have lost at least 18 months, if not more of the time, needed to secure clear housing provision numbers to supersede those contained in the old Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). Until the due process has produced the new numbers the Government will not accept that the RSS numbers be revoked.

Deep pocket housing developers, agencies on their behalf for whom they see this as a no- risk opportunity, and other landowners and opportunists are rushing to put together a tsunami of applications across Cheshire in trying effectively to bully Local Authorities into approving plans before the new numbers and rules apply (following local engagement) which will inevitably lead to lower housing figures coming into play.

There are many already approved schemes where only a fraction of the houses permitted have been built but it is only the built numbers which the Government will accept towards meeting the needs identified in the old RSS figure. This is patently absurd.

Whilst Members of Parliament have no power whatsoever in the planning process, my job is to ensure that every voice is heard. Almost invariably these voices are objecting to various planning applications but, mindful of my responsibility as the local representative of the constituency, any constituent who writes to me strongly in favour of any of these housing applications (or a land based wind turbine for that matter) will also have their representations passed on to the relevant authorities – but in that case not with my endorsement.

I am working relentlessly and at this stage am opposing all these applications as a matter of principle as I believe the right position for Cheshire East is for them to put a pause on all applications to give the Council, all communities and all those with vested interests to have the time to work through the statutory consultation periods to reach the Local Development Plans.

It will then be clear how these accept where the growth in communities is to be sited and what conditions they should attach to them, not least the commitment to ensure that sufficient infrastructure is put in place in advance or at least contemporaneously with the house building.

I have had public meetings, meetings with Ministers and will continue to campaign relentlessly on this so I am giving you the absolute assurance that your MP is batting on your behalf in the very direction that you are seeking.

That said, each and every one of us has to continue to work tirelessly on each and every application and where there is objection to ensure all the reasons for objection are marshalled and submitted in a timely way and the breadth and depth of my constituents' engagement in the existing democratic process is the only option we have until the current RSS figures are revoked.

For those interested in keeping up-to-date with Gladman developments we have created a special Gladman index in the newsroom. You access it by clicking the Gladman banner on the homepage. To go there now click here.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.