GREEN belt in Cheshire East will be protected after land allocated for housing was removed from the borough council's Local Plan.

After the planning blueprint was approved in 2017 the authority has been working on its second part, known as the site allocations and development policies document (SADPD)

Its latest draft contains up-to-date planning policies and new, small-scale, potential sites for housing and employment development.

After a consultation, which saw 2,700 responses from residents, the proposed revisions include removing housing allocations around designated local service centres, most of which would have involved taking more land out of the green belt.

The council has also revised policies for retail development reflecting reduced demand for retail floorspace and a need for diversifying town centres.

Higher environmental standards for new homes to help tackle climate change are also schemed in for the revised document, which goes before the council's strategic planning board on September 23.

The SADPD will require approval by full council, scheduled for spring 2021. The representations will then be submitted to the government to be considered by a planning inspector during an examination.

Cllr Toni Fox, Cheshire East Council Cabinet member for planning said: "We promised during the public consultation last year that we would carefully consider all the comments that were made.

"These revisions demonstrate that we have fully considered and reviewed the 2,700 responses submitted alongside the latest evidence and information.

"Planning always involves balancing a range of issues from facilitating new homes, jobs and other investments that are needed, while protecting our local environment and the health and wellbeing of our residents.

"We are conscious that central government is consulting on proposals to radically reform the planning system, including the way in which councils prepare their local plans.

"This inevitably raises some uncertainty for councils currently preparing plans, and residents."