Cheshire East Council is set to update its longer-term planning strategy for the borough into the 2040s - affecting Crewe and the entire borough.

By law, all councils must review their Local Plans within five years of their adoption and decide whether the policies within them need to be updated.

A meeting of the council's environment and communities committee today (July 1), decided to give the go-ahead to update the borough's local plan strategy (LPS).

An aerial view of a rural area within Cheshire East. The council's local plan strategy is set to be updated (Cheshire East Council).

This key document sets planning policies and allocates sites for development and is used to inform decisions on planning applications. 

What is the local plan?

The Local Plan sets planning policies and allocates sites for development and is used to make decisions on planning applications.

This plan addresses issues such as the number and location of new homes, the amount and location of employment land and the protection and improvement of important open areas.

It also looks into the provision of new infrastructure and the improvement of town centres and community facilities in the borough.

The LPS looks into the provision of new infrastructure and the improvement of town centres and community facilities in the borough. Crewe town centre (Ryan Parker).

The council's current LPS was adopted in July 2017 following more than three years of public comments and submissions on the proposals.

This also came after 13 rounds of public consultations. It was set to last until 2020.

What has been said?

Councillor Mick Warren, chair of Cheshire East Council's environment and communities committee, said: "This is a sensible decision by members as aspects of the local plan strategy adopted by the council in July 2017, have been overtaken by changes in national planning policy.

"Other changes to local policies are needed.

"The report highlighted the need to respond to investment opportunities the arrival of HS2 at Crewe will bring.

Chair of Cheshire East Council's environment and communities committee, Cllr Mick Warren (Cheshire East Council).

"There is also a real need to reflect the priorities of the council's new corporate plan, which includes the requirement for much stronger action to help tackle the climate emergency and achieve our ambition for the borough to be carbon neutral by 2045."

The policies and proposals in the adopted local plan strategy will remain in force until they are replaced in the new plan.

This includes the requirement to build a minimum of 36,000 homes in the borough by 2030 - equating to an average of 1,800 new homes a year. 

Cllr Warren added: "The preparation of a new LPS will be a significant and time-consuming undertaking, involving extensive public consultation.

"It will also need to take account of the government's proposed planning reforms, expected to come into effect in 2024. 

A housing development being constructed in Crewe. The LPS currently has a requirement to build a minimum of 36,000 homes in the borough by 2030 (Ryan Parker).

"The committee looks forward to a further report coming back to us, setting out the timetable for the update."

For further information about the Local Plan and links to key documents, visit Cheshire East Council's website HERE.

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