We are seeking your views on the what the new local plan for Cheshire East should contain. The local plan scoping consultation is open until 5pm on 1 September.
3 Context for the new local plan
3.1 Whilst the local plan is drawn up by the council in consultation with the community, it must accord with national policy and it must set out a positive approach to delivering growth, provide an appropriate strategy to enable the delivery of sustainable development, and set out effective policies and site allocations for development.
3.2 A number of changes have been made to the national planning system, which will have significant impacts on how we plan for future growth and development in Cheshire East.
Increase in housing requirements
3.3 National planning policy requires councils to plan for the housing needs of their area. The Local Plan Strategy (LPS) previously identified a need for 36,000 new homes between 2010-2030, which equates to an average of 1,800 homes per year.
3.4 Since then, the government has introduced a standardised way of calculating local housing need, known as the standard method. Initially, the figure produced by the standard method for Cheshire East was much lower than the LPS requirement, at 977 new homes per year (before December 2024). In December 2024, the government introduced a revised standard method. The revised method is based on:
- 0.8% of the number of existing homes in the area (baseline figure)
- An increase to the baseline figure is then applied to places where housing is less affordable compared to local earnings
3.5 Using this revised method, Cheshire East’s housing need has now increased to 2,530 homes per yearBased on latest dwelling stock figures (2025) released on 21/05/2026. This represents:
- a 41% increase compared to the current local plan requirement (1,800 homes per year)
- a 159% increase compared to the earlier standard method figure of 977 new homes per year.
3.6 National planning policy expects councils to use the standard method figure as the starting point when deciding how many new homes to plan for in a local plan. However, the final housing requirement identified in the new local plan could be higher, for example if it was necessary to meet the needs of neighbouring areas or to support economic growth ambitions or infrastructure investment.
3.7 Because of the significant increase in housing need following the December 2024 changes, the council is currently unable to show that it has enough deliverable housing sites for the next five years. When this happens, national planning policy places significant weight on the need to boost housing supply. In practice this can mean that:
- it is more difficult to refuse planning applications for housing, even if they are not in line with local wishes.
- development might be approved in locations where it would not normally be allowed, such as the countryside and Green Belt, unless very strong reasons exist to refuse it.
Changes to Gypsy and Traveller policy
3.8 National policy requires local plans to provide for the accommodation needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople and to maintain a five-year supply of deliverable sites. The SADPD allocated sites to meet identified need and demonstrated a five-year supply at adoption. However, changes to the government’s definition of Gypsies and Travellers have widened eligibility, meaning the council can no longer demonstrate a five-year supply of sites.
3.9 In these circumstances, national policy gives significant weight to increasing site provision, making it harder to refuse applications for new or expanded sites, even where they conflict with local preferences or would not normally be supported.
3.10 An updated Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment is being prepared to identify need under current national policy.
Changes to Green Belt policy
3.11 National policy now clearly says that where there is a shortfall of new homes or business space, this can be a valid reason to change Green Belt boundaries after considering other reasonable options for meeting development needs.
3.12 A new category of ‘grey belt’ land has also been introduced to national policy, which is land in the Green Belt that does not ‘strongly contribute’ to:
- checking the unrestricted sprawl or large built-up areas
- preventing neighbouring towns from merging
- preserving the setting and special character of historic towns.
3.13 If there is a need to alter the Green Belt boundaries, then grey belt land should be considered first.
3.14 National policy also now includes more scope for redevelopment of previously developed (brownfield) land within the Green Belt, and also allows for Green Belt development around well-connected railway stations.
Brownfield development
3.15 National policy also includes a renewed commitment to prioritising the use of previously developed (brownfield) land where it is possible to do so, which is intended to encourage the regeneration of urban areas.
Economic growth
3.16 In addition to making sure there is sufficient land for offices and industrial premises, national policy requires the local plan to meet the needs of a modern economy. Including identifying suitable locations for uses such as laboratories, gigafactories, data centres, digital infrastructure, freight and logistics.
Spatial development strategy
3.17 Cheshire East is now part of the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority area and will be required to prepare a ‘Spatial Development Strategy’ (SDS) for Cheshire and Warrington. This will act as a spatial framework for investment across the sub region, setting out a high-level strategy for long-term growth and the major infrastructure required to support this, aligning to the sub-regional ‘Local Growth Plan’.
3.18 While the Cheshire East Local Plan must be in general conformity with the Spatial Development Strategy, national policy is clear that local plan preparation should not be delayed. The council will continue to work closely with the Combined Authority and neighbouring councils to ensure a coordinated approach to planning and evidence.
Supplementary planning documents
3.19 The current local plan is supported by multiple supplementary planning documents, which are not part of the development plan but do provide additional planning guidance on different topics or specific sites, such as:
- The design guide
- Housing
- Ecology and biodiversity net gain
- Sustainable drainage systems
- Developer contributions
- Environmental protection
- Houses in multiple occupation
- The Handforth Garden Village
- Brooks Lane area, Middlewich
3.20 Under the new plan-making system, supplementary planning documents are replaced by supplementary plans, which require a more extensive preparation process similar to that for local plans. Existing supplementary planning documents will remain a material consideration until the new local plan is adopted and the council will review whether their content should be incorporated into the new local plan, or would be better addressed through future supplementary plans.
National decision-making policies
3.21 The reformed planning system introduces a comprehensive suite of National Decision-Making Policies (NDMPs). These will provide a consistent national framework for determining planning applications. The new Cheshire East Local Plan will focus on locally specific matters and will seek to avoid unnecessary duplication of national policy but may expand on NDMPs where appropriate. Topic chapters in this document should therefore be read in the context that the issues identified here may be substantially addressed at the national levelling, leaving the local plan to consider more detailed and localised issues, and avoiding repetition.
Strategic environmental assessment
3.22 Plans must be assessed for their potential environmental impacts before adoption. Although Sustainability Appraisal has been removed and Environmental Outcomes Reporting has yet to be implemented, Strategic Environmental Assessment requirements remain in place. The council intends to continue considering relevant social and economic impacts alongside environmental effects to ensure a robust assessment. Equality Impact Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment will also be undertaken as part of the local plan process.