People urged to have their say on latest phase of Cheshire East’s development plan

People are being encouraged to comment on the latest phase of Cheshire East Council’s development plan.

The draft minerals and waste plan details the authority’s planning policies on minerals and waste matters. 

It is the third part of the suite of planning policy documents that, once all approved, will together form the council’s Local Plan. The other two documents are the local plan strategy (LPS) and site allocation and development policies document (SADPD).

The minerals and waste plan (MWP) contains a mix of both strategic and non-strategic policies and will cover the period up to 2041. It aims to achieve both sustainable provision of minerals and sustainable management of waste in the borough. 

The new MWP reflects the council’s new corporate plan priorities by recognising the need to minimise the causes and impacts of climate change as one of its stated objectives. The plan’s policies have been developed with this in mind.

In July 2022, Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee voted to put the MWP forward for public consultation. Once finalised and adopted, this document will replace previous policies that date from before the creation of the council in 2009.

Councillor Mick Warren, chair of the environment and communities committee, said: “The draft plan contains policies to help deliver a steady and appropriate supply of the minerals found in Cheshire East over the plan period. These include silica sand and salt – which are nationally significant minerals, due to their relative rarity in Britain.  

“The plan will also help to fill gaps in the current mineral policies inherited from the former Cheshire County Council, including those around safeguarding mineral resources and infrastructure and the determining of any future proposals for unconventional hydrocarbon extraction – such as ‘fracking’, which is currently subject to a national moratorium.

“The draft minerals and waste plan also contains policies that will help manage all the waste generated within Cheshire East up to 2041, to meet national objectives of less waste being produced and, where possible, for waste to be used as a resource.” 
There is currently predicted to be a shortfall of almost seven million tonnes in aggregate sand supply. 

The council’s own waste needs assessment also found that, while there appears to be sufficient existing capacity to meet recycling and organic waste treatment management requirements to 2030, there is a predicted shortfall in capacity to manage residual waste (black bin) and inert waste to 2030. 

This capacity shortfall will need to be addressed through the MWP and need to cover the full plan period to 2041.

Cllr Warren added: “The public consultation period provides an opportunity for the minerals and waste industry, as well as other interested organisations and individuals, to contribute to the development of this area of planning policy. This will help the council to finalise its minerals and waste plan prior to further consultation and its subsequent submission to the secretary of state.” 

The preparation of the draft MWP for public consultation is an early stage in the plan’s development towards final adoption. Nothing has been decided and there will be further rounds of public consultation before the finalised document is submitted to the secretary of state and is examined by a planning inspector.

The draft MWP consultation runs for six weeks from 9 November until 5pm on 21 December 2022. You can share your views on the draft plan via:

minerals and waste plan page online