Blueprint to strengthen planning policy is backed by Cheshire East Council

Cheshire East’s revised and strengthened development framework for the borough has been adopted by a meeting of full council.

The document had previously been declared ‘sound’ by an independent planning inspector, back in October.

The plan, known as the site allocations and development policies document (SADPD), contains changes following four rounds of consultations with residents and local councils and had taken on board a wide range of comments from the public and modifications by the planning inspector.

Councillor Craig Browne, deputy leader of Cheshire East Council, told the 14 December meeting of full council: “I am delighted to see this important strategic policies’ document adopted by full council. This is a landmark day for the borough. 

“This document strengthens protection for our green belt, important heritage assets, conservation areas and listed buildings. It also includes measures to promote the rural economy and prevent so-called ‘garden grabbing’ by developers. I would like to thank council officers for all their hard work to complete the document before us.” 

The document sets out revised planning policies to guide decisions on planning applications. It also identifies a number of additional smaller sites for future housing and employment schemes. However, most development needs have already been provided for, via the adopted Local Plan Strategy.

Revisions made to the SADPD, following extensive consultations, were:

• Retention of green belt sites, previously earmarked for development; and
• Strengthened environmental standards for new development to help tackle climate change.

Councillor Mick Warren, chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said: “The SADPD replaces all the remaining ‘saved’ policies in the local plans prepared by the three former borough councils (Macclesfield, Congleton, and Crewe and Nantwich).

“In their place we now have an up-to-date suite of planning policies covering the whole borough, which is more closely aligned with our corporate priorities – policies that support the wellbeing of our residents and protect our environment, including measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

“The SADPD will play a pivotal role in guiding planning application decisions and help shape and protect the precious places in which we live in our beautiful borough.”

The first part of the council’s Local Plan, the Local Plan Strategy, was adopted in July 2017. It sets out the vision and overall spatial strategy for the borough to 2030. It includes strategic policies and allocates ‘strategic sites’ for development.

The SADPD is the second part of the Local Plan. Its purpose is to make provision, where necessary, for additional, generally smaller sites to accommodate growth.

The draft minerals and waste plan (MWP), which details the authority’s planning policies on minerals and waste matters, is the third and final part of the suite of planning policy documents that, once all approved, will together form the council’s Local Plan.

The six-week consultation on the draft MWP ends at 5pm on 21 December 2022.

share your views on the draft plan online

For further information about the Local Plan and links to key documents, visit: 

Local Plan webpage