Local residents have two weeks left to have their say on whether a plot of Green Belt land in Alderley Edge should be identified for a housing development of up to 250 homes.
Cheshire East Council is currently developing a new Local Plan, which is an important document that will be the Development Plan for Cheshire East and form the basis of planning decisions until 2030.
Consultations on the Local Plan began two years ago and the Council consulted on the draft Development Strategy in January and February 2013, which will deliver 27,000 new houses and 20,000 new jobs in Cheshire East over the next 20 years.
It proposes their distribution across the Borough on 'Strategic Development Sites', these are large sites that are considered to be very important, in terms of delivering the overall jobs led growth strategy for the Borough.
Up until now the Local Plan consultations have not directly impacted on the village, as none of the 'Strategic Development Sites' are in Alderley Edge, however the Council is now consulting on 27 additional sites proposed by developers and land owners which may be suitable for inclusion.
These include land to the north of Beech Road, which lies in the Green Belt. This has been submitted to the Council by How Planning, on behalf of the landowners, for the development of 200 to 250 dwellings.
Click here to view a map of the site which lies to the south of the A34 bypass and east of the railway line.
CEC is not proposing the site at this stage – but merely identifying it as a possible option for housing development to ensure that the plan is robust.
Councillor David Brown, Deputy Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: "This does not mean the Council supports the development of these sites. We have reached no view at all on their merits at this stage and we are seeking people's views because they have not featured in any previous stage of the local plan. These sites have been proposed by developers to achieve their business objectives.
"In creating a new plan we need to be sure that we have considered all reasonable alternatives in terms of our strategy and potential development sites. We have to ensure that alternatives are considered and will have to pass sustainability and environmental tests before any are accepted as part of our wider consideration of the Local Plan."
The consultation on the 'Potential Additional Sites Proposed by Developer and Land Interests' Consultation runs until Thursday 30th May 2013.
Printed versions of the document can be inspected at the library, by contacting the Anne Ross, Clerk to Alderley Edge Parish Council on 01625 582400, from Macclesfield Town Hall or Westfields in Sandbach.
However, the Council asks that consultation responses are made online wherever possible to save time, paper and money.
Click here to view the document and submit your comments online.
Smaller sites will be identified and consulted upon later in the Local Plan process.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
A booklet may be obtained from your library or view online. Page 10 refers to "Site B - Land North of Beech Road, Alderley Edge". For those not aware, and CEs documents make no attempts to show, part of the proposed development on Site B is in Alderley and the rest in Wilmslow (Whitehall Brook being the boundary). CE further fails to tell us that all of this land is part of the GREEN BELT, the green division and protection against local urban sprawl between Alderley and Wilmslow.
Why has CE failed to make it abundantly clear this land is part of the Green Belt?
It is vital that the residents of both towns make their views known before the 30th May, that they show clearly and in large numbers we are against any loss of our Green Belt - therefore a resounding NO is necessary to protect this site and others in the locality. If this site is lost to development it will be seen as a Trojan horse by the landowners as an opportunity for further construction on Green Belt land adjoining the site - Alderley's northern aspect will come under threat of concrete.
Ensure you say NO to Site B being developed.
A question I wouldn't mind answering is.Who is it that has been driving in these fields in a land rover being abusive to local residents. Blaring rubbish such as what do you think you are doing this isn't a country park.
I haven't experienced this yet but hope I do.
I pressed OBJECT