Agenda item

The Strategic Planning and Housing Manager submitted a report on the draft Cheshire East Local Plan.

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 required local planning authorities to prepare Local Development Frameworks, now known as Local Plans. The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 set out the procedures to be followed in the preparation of such plans. The Development Strategy has been prepared in accordance with Regulation 18. The preparation of the Development Strategy will inform preparation of the formal submission Core Strategy next year. Preparation of the plan has been guided by the National Planning Policy Framework and other related advice. The Localism Act 2011 places on local planning authorities in preparing local plans a duty to co-operate. It was confirmed that whilst the Regional Spatial Strategy remains part of the Development Plan, the housing totals to 2021 need to be in general conformity with the policies of the Regional Spatial Strategy. A detailed explanation of the approach to housing figures was provided.

In the autumn of 2010 the Council published strategic ‘Issues and Options’ which considered different potential approaches to growth and development at a Borough-wide, high level. The Council had invested considerable effort into ‘Place Shaping’ at a level which is meaningful to most people in the Borough, particularly with the production of Town Strategies for each of the largest towns in Cheshire East. These were prepared according to neighbourhood planning principles and followed the award of government funding as a neighbourhood planning ‘front runner’.

The Development Strategy and Policy principles brought together the findings of these strategies, the earlier issues and options and the research and evidence base, to create a coherent plan for the future of the Borough. A copy of the draft Development Strategy and associated documents was also submitted

The report described how the draft Development Strategy and the accompanying Policy Principles document had been produced and highlighted a number of key issues including:-

·           The Context for the Plan

·           Delivering Wider Economic Growth

·           Overall Spatial Strategy

·           Jobs & Employment

·           Transport & Connectivity

·           Housing growth and Five Year Supply of Housing Land

·           Town Centres

·           Green Belt Review

·          Strategic Sites and

·           Policy principles dealing with Enterprise & Growth, Stronger Communities, Sustainable Environment and Connectivity

The presentation provided further detail of the way in which consultation had been approached, the sustainability of the proposed developments, what consideration had been given to reasonable alternatives and how consultation responses had been taken into account. Reasoning in approaching proposals for the settlement hierarchy was also further detailed.

The Board was asked to consider the draft Cheshire East Development Strategy and recommend to Cabinet that it be published for consultation purposes.

RESOLVED

1.         That the process of plan making, evidence and  the report of Consultation of the Cheshire East Issues & Options that has informed the current stage of the Local Plan be noted

2.         That the report of Consultation of the Town Strategies (Appendix 2) be noted.

3.         That the Analysis of Consultation of The Town strategies and Completed Town Strategies (Appendices 3 & 4)) be noted.

4.         That Cabinet be recommended to approve for consultation the attached Cheshire East Development Strategy (Appendix 5)

5.         That Cabinet be recommended to approve for consultation the attached Cheshire East Policy Principles Document (Appendix 6)

6.         That Cabinet be recommended to resolve that the Cheshire East Development Strategy be used as a material consideration for Development Management purposes with immediate effect.

(The meeting adjourned for lunch from 12.45pm until 1.30pm.  Councillor G Walton left the meeting after lunch and did not return and Councillor P Mason arrived to the meeting at 1.30pm.  There was a further adjournment at 3.28pm until 3.38pm for a short break).