The evidence base will inform and support the preparation of the new local plan for Cheshire East. As set out in government guidance, the evidence should be proportionate, not unnecessarily extensive, and drawn from suitable up-to-date sources.
The scoping consultation document included further details of the planned evidence to inform the plan. Published documents and some of the evidence that we're currently working on are listed here. Further evidence base documents will be added when they become available.
Strategy and over-arching evidence
| Document |
Published |
Content |
| Baseline Evidence Report (currently in production) |
November 2026 (intended) |
An overview of the demographic, economic, environmental and infrastructure characteristics of Cheshire East. |
| Green Belt Assessment (currently in production) |
February 2027 (intended) |
Review of Green Belt and identification of potential areas of grey belt land, in accordance with government guidance on Green Belt. |
| Settlement Hierarchy Review (currently in production) |
July 2027 (intended) |
Review of the current hierarchy of settlements with recommendations for consideration in the new local plan. |
Land and sites
| Document |
Published |
Content |
| Brownfield Land Register |
February 2026 |
Brownfield sites considered to be appropriate for residential development. The register is updated annually. |
| Map of submitted housing and employment sites |
July 2026 |
Map showing the sites submitted for consideration as part of the land availability assessment, to inform the new local plan. |
| Land Availability Assessment (currently in production) |
July 2027 (intended) |
Assessment of the availability of sites for development (from all sources), in line with stages 1 and 2 of government guidance on sites. |
Housing
| Document |
Published |
Content |
| Housing Completions and Supply, and Housing Monitoring Update reports |
August 2026 / March 2026 |
Details of housing completions and housing supply, and evidence to inform the calculation of the deliverable supply of housing land. |
| Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment (currently in production) |
November 2026 (intended) |
Assessment of the need for provision of accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers. |
| Housing Needs Assessment (currently in production) |
March 2027 (intended) |
Review of the local housing need figure, assessment of the local housing market and consideration of the housing needs of different groups. |
Employment and economy
| Document |
Published |
Content |
| Economic Development Needs Assessment and Employment Land Review (currently in production) |
March 2027 (intended) |
Identification of objectively assessed needs and qualitative requirements for employment land and floorspace, with an assessment of the current supply and quality of employment land and premises. |
Retail and town centres
| Document |
Published |
Content |
| Retail Study and Town Centres Health Check (currently in production) |
April 2027 (intended) |
Identification of requirements for new retail floorspace and review of the functioning of designated town centres. |
Minerals and waste
| Document |
Published |
Content |
| Cheshire Sand Study (PDF, 4.4MB) |
June 2020 |
Review and analysis of the sand resource and operational extraction sites. |
| Local Aggregates Assessment 2025 (PDF, 1.5MB) |
January 2026 |
Assessment of the demand for and supply of aggregates within the borough. This document is updated annually. |
| Minerals and Waste Safeguarding Report (currently in production) |
March 2027 (intended) |
Review of the needs for safeguarding minerals resources and infrastructure. |
| Waste Needs Assessment (currently in production) |
April 2027 (intended) |
Assessment of waste needs and facilities, and consideration of the need for additional facilities to meet forecasted requirements. Current evidence is set in the 2023 Waste Needs Assessment. |
Transport and infrastructure
| Document |
Published |
Content |
| Leighton Station Feasibility Study |
May 2026 |
Assessment of the feasibility for a new railway station on the Crewe-Chester line near Leighton. |
| Infrastructure Issues and Context Report (currently in production) |
November 2026 (intended) |
Review of the existing provision of infrastructure. |
Natural environment
