Cheshire East Local Plan: Green Belt release unjustified

CPRE Cheshire responds to the consultation on the Cheshire East Local Plan

CPRE has responded to East Cheshire Council’s local plan consultation on its Site Allocations and Development Policies Document.

We highlighted the need to respond to the climate crisis when progressing the local plan, which will steer ‘sustainable’ development in the future.

Our headline message is that we do not believe there are the exceptional circumstances to release Green Belt. Too many houses are being planned for based on out of date population growth data. The Government has, much as a result of CPRE campaigning, announced it is to change the way housing numbers are to be calculated, and that there is renewed focus on reusing existing brownfield land in our settlements.

We have made specific comments to a number of site allocations, where we think the balance of harm is negative.

We do want Cheshire East to have an up to date local plan adopted, but it must be sound and it should do all it can to protect and enhance our rural places for the benefit of all in the future.

Click the link below to download our response.

CPRE Cheshire response to CEC’s Revised Publication Draft SADPD Sept 2020