Neighbourhood Plan has impact

It looks as if Neighbourhood Plans can have a real impact with the news that Cheshire East refused a planning application unanimously in Sandbach on the grounds the scheme is contrary to the town's recently completed neighbourhood plan.

Sandbach's plan was adopted by Cheshire East on the very same day as Audlem's neighbourhood plan after both communities had voted two weeks earlier in referenda on the same day to adopt their plans.

The Sandbach refusal of a scheme outside the boundary of Sandbach as defined in the neighbourhood plan by councillors even went against the advice of their own planning officers who had recommended it for acceptance.

Cllr. Janet Clowes called for the scheme to be refused, saying: "I thought building in the open countryside could only be permitted in the interests of an identified affordable housing need."

Cllr. Barry Moran also argued that highways officers had not considered the accumulative impact on roads and said the development was unsustainable due to its unacceptable environmental impact in terms of the loss of the open countryside and also harm to the landscape character.

The vote to refuse was unanimous.

It is an interesting decision as the next Audlem application that's likely to go before Cheshire East councillors, for 87 houses north of Moorsfield Avenue and Tollgate Drive, is also in open countryside outside the settlement boundary identified in Audlem's neighbourhood plan and requires access along narrow estate roads.

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