The Local Plan Strategy, previously known as the Core Strategy, was voted on and passed through full Council on Friday, February 28th.
It has been almost three years in the making and has been publicly consulted on six times. It is due to go before the Planning Inspectorate in Spring this year and the Council hopes that it will be ratified before the end of the year.
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles MP has written to the leader of Cheshire East Council saying "I am glad that you have found helpful discussions with Planning Minister Nick Boles and the support that we have provided on plan-making via the former Chief Planning Inspector."
He added: "The Government's changes to legislation and policy have put Local Plans at the heart of the planning system. Our policy sets out clearly that emerging plans may gain weight as they progress but before they are formally adopted.
"A published Local Plan will therefore mean that Cheshire East is better able to guard against speculative or unwanted development. I appreciate the development pressures and planning constraints in the area, and would therefore openly encourage developers to work alongside you as your plan progresses in order to bring forward appropriate development."
Eric Pickles continued "Although I cannot pre-determine the outcome of examination, I very much welcome that you have established a revised housing figure, your statement that the emerging Local Plan will protect the countryside and the green belt and your engagement with neighbouring High Peak Borough Council."
Leader of the Council Michael Jones said: "I am delighted to have received a letter from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, where he confirms that emerging local plans like ours gain weight as they progress, helping guard against unwanted and unsustainable development.
"It just goes to show that the hard work involved in getting the Local Plan to fruition has been recognised by our Government.
"I am proud to be leader of Cheshire East Council at a time when we are overseeing the Local Plan process which has been hard at times but, all-in-all, a challenge that will serve our future generations extremely well.
"We have managed to preserve our countryside and even extend the greenbelt in southern parts of the borough, as well as meeting the housing targets required by central government.
"I'm delighted that the Council has now passed the Local Plan and satisfied that it is a robust and exhaustive piece of work. It is the culmination of 37,000 public responses during six rounds of consultation. It will lay out a blueprint for sustainable, jobs-led growth across Cheshire East for the next 15 years.
"Developers should take note of this and work with the council on sensible, sustainable proposals."
Click here to view the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy document.
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