Councillors to consider sites proposed for development in Alderley Edge

Development -  general view 2

Councillors are to consider the next phase of Cheshire East's development plan which includes proposals for three new housing developments in Alderley Edge.

The latest version of the second stage of Cheshire East Council's Local Plan – the site allocations and development policies document (SADPD) – will be considered by members of the authority's strategic planning board on 24 July.

The document, once finalised, will provide the approved framework for housing, employment, and other key infrastructure sites up to 2030.

Following directly on from the Local Plan Strategy adopted in 2017, the SADPD provides policies to guide new development, including housing, mainly within the smaller towns and larger villages - including Alderley Edge

The majority of development needs have already been provided for through the Local Plan Strategy. The sites in the SADPD will be non-strategic – generally sites of fewer than 60 homes or two hectares (five acres) in size.

The SADPD identifies for development in the local service centres of Alderley Edge, Audlem, Bollington, Chelford, Disley, Holmes Chapel, Mobberley and Prestbury.

Whilst the council says development requirements in Bunbury, Goostrey, Haslington, Shavington and Wrenbury can be met by development that has already been completed and schemes with planning permission.

In addition, the SADPD identifies further site allocations in some of the key service centres with further site allocations in Congleton, Middlewich and Poynton.

In sites allocated for development in Alderley Edge are:

  • Site ALD 1 - Land adjacent to Jenny Heyes The land adjacent to Jenny Heyes is allocated for residential development for around 10 new homes. This greenfield site is 0.47 ha in size and is located to the north east of Alderley Edge, on Heyes Lane.
  • Site ALD 2 - Ryleys Farm, north of Chelford Road The land at Ryleys Farm, north of Chelford Road is allocated for residential development for around 45 new homes. This greenfield site is 1.6 ha in size and is located to the west of Alderley Edge, north of Chelford Road.
  • Site ALD 4 - Land north of Beech Road The land north of Beech Road is allocated for residential development for around 35 new homes.This greenfield site is 2.9 ha in size and is located to the north of Alderley Edge, north of Beech Road.

Additionally safeguarded land is identified in Green Belt areas and may be required to meet longer-term development needs.

Land allocated for safeguarding in Alderley Edge is:

  • Site ALD 3 - Ryleys Farm (safeguarded) Land at Ryleys Farm is designated as 2.70 ha of safeguarded land. It remains in the open countryside and is not allocated for development at the present time.

When adopted, the SADPD will replace the old policies of the three former borough local plans, covering Macclesfield, Congleton and Crewe and Nantwich, dating back to 2004, and address current planning issues – such as climate change mitigation, housing for older people and improving the quality and variety of new homes.

Councillor Toni Fox, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for planning, said: "Having reviewed the options, we recognise the need to have a robust and up-to-date planning framework to avoid a repeat of the unplanned and speculative developments that arose in this borough in recent years. To reflect the changed government planning guidance, we are putting in place a raft of fresh planning policies that will better equip us to shape and manage sustainable development of the borough.

"This plan takes account of consultation responses to the draft document published last September and I'm pleased to say that extra effort has been made, since then, to engage with town and parish councils about the various proposals.

"As well as updating our planning policies, the SADPD identifies new development areas to meet the needs of certain settlements and particular sections of our communities. Among these are plans for fresh residential sites for Gypsies and Travellers and a new transit site to provide safe and regulated accommodation for those passing through the borough.

"In some locations, small allocations are proposed in the greenbelt. This is necessary to meet localised needs in those villages and to ensure no further greenbelt changes are made until at least the 2040s.

"Completion of the site allocations plan is an important step towards securing a strong and resilient basis for planning in Cheshire East, including maintaining a five-year supply of housing land. We want to be able to review our Local Plan in future from a position of strength – without risking a planning free-for all."

In 2018/19 a record 3,062 new homes were completed in Cheshire East.

Cllr Fox added: "Despite such healthy home building, our five-year supply continues to be challenged by certain sections of the development industry, bent on promoting sites outside of the Local Plan.

"The current Local Plan target of 1,800 homes per year is reflective of past economic ambitions and is almost 50 per cent higher than the government's own calculation of housing need for the borough using their new methodology.

"We want to move promptly to a position whereby our five-year supply targets are closer aligned with the national methodology – and so we will be looking to assess which parts of Local Plan Strategy need to be reviewed and updated.

"To do this, we need to move on with the rest of the Local Plan and so publish the SADPD for formal consultation. This will allow the plan to progress to external examination, where all parties can seek independent scrutiny."

Tags:
Local Plan Strategy, Site Allocations and Development Policies
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Craig Browne
Wednesday 17th July 2019 at 2:19 pm
Dear all,

Following consideration by the Council's Strategic Planning Board, the SADPD will proceed to Cabinet (which will consider any further recommendations that the Strategic Planning Board may make) and then onto a six-week period of public consultation.

It is anticipated that the period of public consultation will begin in mid-August and continue until approximately the end of September. This will largely follow the same period that the Parish Council will be consulting on our own Neighbourhood Plan policies.

With respect to the Neighbourhood Plan, we will be holding drop-in sessions at Alderley Edge Library and I would encourage everyone to attend one of the sessions (the dates will be announced shortly) and share their views on the emerging policies.

Once a date for the SADPD consultation period has been set, I will provide an update as well as a link to the Cheshire East consultation portal. I would encourage all residents to make their views known through this formal process.

Kind regards,
Craig
Terry Bowes
Wednesday 24th July 2019 at 4:36 pm
Looking at The oversubscribed state of the AECP School. I reckon part of the dealings with the various builders should be the building of a new Primary school.
Time to look at the bigger picture, You can’t keep shipping people in without supplying the infrastructure.