Agenda item

To reconsider the Draft Local Development Scheme for Cheshire East.

The Prosperity Block Lead submitted a paper to enable the Panel to reconsider the decision at its last meeting in respect of the Draft Local Development Scheme (LDS) for Cheshire East.  It was reported that following the Panel’s last meeting, Congleton Borough Council’s Executive on 8 October had passed a resolution to make representations to the Cheshire East Shadow Council for inclusion of the following items in the proposed Local Development Scheme:-

(a)   An area action plan for Congleton Town Centre with appropriate resources allocated once the Core Strategy is sufficiently advanced.

(b)   A area action plan for Middlewich Canal Corridor with resources allocated once the Core Strategy is sufficiently advanced.

(c)   A joint Design Statement for Sandbach as a community led approach, with work to start in November 2008 and appropriate resources allocated.

In addition, the Congleton Borough Council Executive had highlighted the urgent need for additional employment land to be allocated for the Congleton town area.

The Local Development Framework (LDF) Member Task Group held on 28 October had considered this matter and had agreed that:

The three additional items requested by Congleton Borough Council for inclusion in the Cheshire East Local Development Scheme  (for Congleton town centre, the Middlewich Canal corridor and Sandbach) be agreed and included in the 2008 submission.

The LDS would make it clear that the preparation of the Core Strategy will take priority until it is sufficiently advanced. Once spatial priorities emerge from the Core Strategy across Cheshire East, plans and policies will be prioritised and resources allocated accordingly.

This approach to the LDS should be agreed with the Government Office for the North West.

A copy of Section 5: Proposed Cheshire East Local Development Framework (to be inserted into the Draft Local Development Scheme) was tabled and considered at the meeting.  

It was noted that Officers had followed guidance from the Government Office Northwest that until information regarding the structure and resources for the LDF team was available the LDS focus on the priority documents, namely the core strategy, site allocations DPD and a generic Development Control/Management Policies DPD. The LDS could always be revised at a future date if further resources become available and good timely progress was being made with the priority documents.

Members were reminded that the Draft Transitional Regulations require Cheshire East Council to submit a Local Development Scheme to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government before end of December 2008.  The same Regulations will transfer Local Development Framework powers to the Cheshire East Council.

During the debate members referred to the preparation of the Sandbach Town Design Statement and that it should be included in Paragraph 5.2 of the draft Local Development scheme.  Members also noted that any changes would be subject to the allocation of appropriate resources.

RESOLVED – That

1         the Prosperity Block Lead Officer in consultation with the Chairman of the Advisory Panel Places approve the wording of the amendment to the Local Development Scheme, to accord with the recommendations of the Task Group, subject to inclusion of a reference to the preparation of the Sandbach Town Design Statement in paragraph 5.2;  and

2         the amended Draft Local Development Scheme be submitted to Cabinet on 2 December 2008 and full Council on 9 December 2008.