Decision details

The was submitted to the Council in July 2017 and, following a statutory publicity period, proceeded to Independent Examination.  The Examiner’s report has now been received and recommends that subject to some modifications it should proceed to referendum. The Council must now consider the recommendations of the Examiner and decide how to proceed.

The Council is committed to supporting neighbourhood planning in Cheshire East.  It has a legal duty to provide advice and assistance on neighbourhood plans, to hold an independent examination on neighbourhood plans submitted to the Council and to make arrangements for a referendum following a favourable Examiner’s Report. 

The Council accepts the examiner’s recommendations and subject to the modifications set out in the Examiner’s Report, the Somerford Neighbourhood Development Plan is considered to meet the statutory basic conditions and procedural requirements set out in Schedule 10, paragraph 8, of the Localism Act and as such it can now proceed to referendum.

1.    That in addition to those modifications recommended by the Examiner the following additional corrections to the proposed Somerford Neighbourhood Development Plan be approved:

·         Page 27, bullet point 1: remove the words: ‘between Somerford and’

·         Page 28, paragraph 2 – amend to: The Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy also identifies that Local Green Space designations made by Neighbourhood Plans can be considered in the site allocations and development policies document.

·         Page 32, paragraph 4 – insert: ‘are summarised in the Section headed “Community and Stakeholder Engagement p22-26”

2.    It be confirmed that the proposed Somerford Neighbourhood Plan will now proceed to referendum in the Somerford Neighbourhood Plan area 15 February 2018.