Council planners explain why new local plan is so important for communities
Cheshire East is busy preparing its new local plan and will be consulting with residents during the process. Council planners explain its importance.
By Chester Standard
Cheshire East’s new local plan will set out where future homes, jobs, schools, transport links, green spaces and community facilities should be located.
The plan will also be used by the council when deciding planning applications into the 2040s.
Cheshire East Council held a scoping consultation during the summer, asking residents for views on the issues and opportunities that should shape the plan. Topics included housing, employment, transport, community infrastructure, climate change, the natural environment, heritage, health and wellbeing.
The council has also carried out two call-for-sites exercises, in 2024 and 2026. These produced 597 potential sites, although no decisions have been made about which sites will be included in the plan.
The formal preparation process is expected to last 30 months. The council is due to publish a gateway one self-assessment on its website after cabinet approval.
Council planners said the next major consultation point would be gateway two, expected around July next year. This is when the authority plans to publish its spatial options and preferred approach.
Further public engagement will take place during the process, including informal discussions through community assemblies. The council will publicise consultation dates and assembly events.
Planners said the plan should identify where growth can be accommodated sustainably, where infrastructure needs improvement, which land and communities need protection, and what types of homes residents need.
The council expects the new local plan to be adopted in spring 2029.