Local Plan consultations

Cheshire East Council has undertaken significant public consultation since work began on the preparation of the Local Plan, in the Autumn of 2010.

The Local Plan Strategy- Submission Version has been produced, following the full consideration of all the comments received from public consultations and the information contained in the comprehensive evidence base that has been gathered to support the development of the Plan.

This document sets out the case for sustainable economic growth and represents the strategy the Council wishes to adopt to deliver a vibrant, sustainable community and for the management of development in Cheshire East up to 2030.

The Local Plan Strategy – Submission Version was approved at the meeting of Full Council on 28th February 2014. It will now undergo a formal six week period when representations can be made, regarding its legal compliance and soundness, from today, Friday 14th March, to 5.00pm on Friday 25th April 2014.

The document is supported by a Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment, upon which representations can also be made.

The attached Statement of Representations Procedure provides further information and lists the documents that are available for inspection, along with the venues.

Please note that representations should specify in what respect(s) the Plan is considered unsound and what change(s) would be needed to make it sound.

The grounds for considering a Plan sound are that it is:

• Justified (founded on a proportionate evidence base and the most appropriate strategy when considered against the reasonable alternatives);
• Effective (deliverable and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic priorities);
• Consistent with national policy (predominantly set out in the National Planning Policy Framework); and
• Positively prepared (the plan should be based on a strategy that seeks to meet objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements).

The Council is encouraging interested parties to complete the official representation form on the online consultation portal at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/localplan, to save
time and money. Paper representation forms will also be available in your local library; the Customer Service Centres in Crewe and Macclesfield; the Planning Help Desk, Municipal Buildings, Crewe; and Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach.

By completing the official representation form, this will speed up the process and make sure that the appropriate information is provided to the Planning Inspectorate.

All forms must be completed online or received by the Spatial Planning Team at Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach CW11 1HZ by 5.00pm on 25th April 2014. Parties submitting representations after this deadline lose the right to appear at the public examination
stage. Please note that anonymous representations cannot be accepted.

A significant amount of detailed research and evidence has been gathered to inform the Local Plan Strategy – Submission Version and is now available to view on the Cheshire East website at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/localplan

This includes background papers on housing and employment; the sites that are proposed for development and an assessment of the existing Green Belt, amongst others. All of this research and evidence has been used to produce the Local Plan Strategy – Submission
Version document.

When considering the Local Plan documents for Submission, you will find it useful to also look at the research and evidence; this will enable you to make considered and informed comments.

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