Agenda item

To consider a report on the Cheshire East Local Plan.

 

Please note that the page numbers in the Table of Contents refer to the LPS numbers at the bottom of each page.

 

There are a number of appendices, which are identified on page 23 (LPS 19) of the report.

 

Consideration was given to the Cheshire East Local Plan.

 

The following people attended the meeting and spoke in respect of the item:

 

Sue Helliwell (Resident)

Mr Henry Brooks (The Tatton Estate)

Brian Chaplin (on behalf of South Knutsford Residents Group)

Paul Webster (Planning Adviser, Knutsford Conservation and Heritage Group)

Paul Goodman

Councillor Nick Mannion

Samantha Nicholls (Leith Planning (Group) Limited)

Mr Stuart Redgard

Councillor Brian Thompson (Sutton Parish Council)

Audlem Parish Council

Peter Yates

Mr Andrew Dickman (db symmetry Ltd)

Andrew Haldane

Councillor Barry Moran (Ward Member, Sandbach Town)

Lillian Burns

Councillor Carolyn Lowe (on behalf of Sandbach Town Council)

Terry Griffiths (on behalf of Knutsford Nether Ward Community Group)

Andrew Thomson (Thomson Planning Partnerships - on behalf of Cheshire Association of Local Councils)

Andrew Thomson (Thomson Planning Partnerships - on behalf of Weston and Basford Parish Council)

Roger Bagguley (Residents of Wilmslow)

Manuel Golding (Residents of Wilmslow)

Councillor Rod Fletcher (Alsager Ward Member)

Eileen Furr

Councillor Adam Schofield (Macclesfield Town Council - Representing Macclesfield West)

Keith Williams

Kevin J Richardson (Managing Director and Solicitor - Richardson Law Solicitors)

Stephen Locke (Planning Consultant For Stephen Locke Associates Ltd) 

John Church (on behalf of Haddon Property Developments Ltd)

Councillor J Clowes

Councillor M Warren

Councillor Lee Podmore (Representing Poynton Town Council)

Councillor Ian Hollingworth (Representing Poynton Town Council)

Michael Fleming

Councillor Jean Parry (on behalf of Congleton Town Council)

Councillor Martin Hardy had registered to speak, but was unable to attend the meeting.

 

An additional three statements were read out by the Head of Planning Strategy on behalf of The Henbury Society, Henbury Parish Council and WW Planning (on behalf of Barthomley Action Group and Barthomley Parish Council).

 

The meeting adjourned at 11.50 am for a short break

 

A presentation was given by the Head of Planning Strategy relating to the key changes to Strategic Policy.

 

The meeting adjourned for lunch at 12.50 pm  and reconvened at 1.30 pm

 

Councillor D Newton left the meeting and did not return.

 

A further presentation was given by the Head of Planning Strategy on Site Specific Recommendations, which provided a brief overview on each town.

 

A number of comments were made by Members of the Board in respect of the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy – Proposed Changes.

 

Before consideration of the proposed amendments, the meeting adjourned at 17.45 for a short break.

 

The following motions failed to attract a seconder and/or were defeated:

 

·         Remove Site CS43 Radway Green North from the plans (defeated)

 

·         LPS 89 (Policy) – Reinstate the words “to meet local needs” (not seconded)

 

·         CS9 Fence Avenue – Remove “That the land comprised within this site other than that within the existing school site (building and fields) be removed from the allocation so that there is no farm land or pasture land in the allocation and that the site be restricted to 250 dwellings.” (defeated)

 

·         CS41 Chelford Road/Whirley Road – Remove site -  due to concerns about Greenbelt, Highways and Flooding. (defeated)

 

·         CS55 Remove the plan -  Land off  Warmingham Lane West (phase 2) and to include Cledford  lagoons instead. (defeated)

 

·         CS24 – Amend to “The delivery of up to 300 dwellings (reduced from 450) to the south of the site” and add at para 16.346c “the land designated as mixed use will only be used for housing if it can be demonstrated that there is no demand for employment use and/or employment use is not viable” and revise other wording to strengthen the protection of employment land (defeated)

 

·         To remove all sites which are in the green belt, as a last resort. (not seconded)

 

 

 

 

The following motion was proposed, but then withdrawn before seconders were invited:

 

The proposal that the employment land contained within the Knutsford strategic site PSS602 be reduced by at least 4.5 hectares in size and the boundaries of PSS602 are redrawn to put those 4.5 hectares into safeguarded land. To mitigate the effect of this bring forward 9 acres of CS64 Cheshire Gateway (currently allocated to safeguarded land) into an allocation for employment land.  (CS18).

 

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Strategic Planning Board recommends to Council that:

 

1.    The Sustainability (integrated) Appraisal and Habitats Regulation Assessment Addendums (Appendix 5) be approved for public consultation and submission to the Inspector;

 

2.    The proposed changes to the Local Plan Strategy (Appendix 1) be approved for public consultation and submission to the Inspector subject to an amendment to be made by the Head of Planning Strategy to the plan at figure 15.50 on page LPS525 to remove from that plan a small area of land hatched red to the north of the site (Mereside Car Park) which had been included in the red hatching in error.

 

3.    With the approval of the committee the Director of Planning and Sustainable Development agreed with the Ward Member that the following revised wording in respect of site CS37 (South Cheshire Growth Village) be put to Council:-

 

EXISTING PARAGRAPH 15.96F (REPLACE)

A new pedestrian and cycle link will be created south of the railway line to Basford East. This must provide a safe and secure environment for children to travel to school. For example it could take the form of an attractive country lane with low density housing, which will afford a lit and overlooked route.

 

PARAGRAPH 15.96F NEW WORDING:

A new pedestrian and cycle link will be created to Basford East. This must provide a safe and secure environment for children to travel to school . Priority should be given to a route on the north of the Railway line, combined with a cycle / footbridge. Only if after thorough exploration a northern route proves unfeasible, will an access south of the railway be permitted. This could take the form of  an all-weather lit route. No vehicular link to Basford East will be permitted.

 

 

4.    That the Director of Planning and Sustainable Development be authorised (in consultation with the Portfolio Holder) to make any typographical, formatting and/or inconsequential changes to the Local Plan Strategy documents to correct any drafting errors or anomalies identified prior to the lodging of the same for consultation.