5 Scope of the new local plan | Cheshire East Local Plan

Local plan period

5.1 The new local plan must cover at least 15 years from adoption. Based on the proposed timetable, adoption is expected in March 2029. While a longer plan period could support longer-term planning, increasing uncertainty and the requirement to review plans every five years supports a shorter timeframe. It is therefore proposed that the new local plan covers the period to 31 March 2045, aligning with the council’s monitoring year and allowing flexibility for any delays in plan preparation.

Creating a vision and objectives

5.2 The new local plan must include a short vision statement incorporating aims and objectives for Cheshire East, accompanied by up to 10 measurable outcomes to help monitor progress towards meeting the vision statement.

5.3 The vision statement will need to be realistic, achievable and distinctive to Cheshire East. It will set a clear direction which all policies and proposals will need to support. It should reflect the Cheshire East Plan (the council’s corporate plan) so that planning policies and proposals can help deliver the overall priorities for the borough. A series of objectives will sit under the vision to explain in more detail how it will be achieved.

5.4 As part of this scoping consultation, we would be grateful for your views on priority matters for inclusion in the vision, aims and objectives, and measurable outcomes for the new local plan, which will be explored in more depth following conclusion of the scoping consultation.

Planning for growth

5.5 National policy requires the new local plan to make provision for housing, employment, retail and other town centre uses, minerals, waste management and the infrastructure needed to support sustainable growth. The plan must also identify sufficient land and set out an appropriate strategy for where development should be located.

5.6 The amount of development to be planned for will be informed by evidence including future housing and employment needs, infrastructure capacity, environmental constraints and opportunities for regeneration. The plan will seek to support sustainable economic growth, the delivery of much-needed homes, the vitality of town centres, and the protection and enhancement of the natural, built and historic environment.

5.7 The remainder of this chapter sets out the key matters that will influence how growth is planned and distributed across the borough, including site selection, Green Belt, settlement hierarchy and the spatial strategy.

Identifying and assessing sites

5.8 To meet objectively assessed needs, it is important that we identify a range of sites to give greater choice when identifying proposed site allocations for different uses, including housing, employment, minerals and waste.

5.9 In preparation for the new local plan and to help us start to identify land that could be available in the future to meet development needs, we recently carried out two ‘call for sites’ exercises There have been additional call for sites exercises for minerals or waste sites since 2017 and invited developers, landowners, public bodies, local residents and other parties to submit sites for consideration.

Housing and employment sites

5.10 Sites submitted through the 2024 and 2026 call for sites exercises are available to view online and will be assessed to determine their suitability, availability and deliverability. To achieve this, and to identify and evaluate potential development sites, the council is preparing a land availability assessment methodology, based on national guidance. Initial site assessments and further details of the methodology are expected to be published as part of the next consultation stage.

5.11 The methodology will include our approach to filtering sites that are obviously unsuitable for development, the assumptions we will use about estimating development potential and timescales for delivery and the scoring to be applied. The output of this work will be a list of sites that will be considered further as potential draft allocations. Additional opportunities to submit sites or update existing submissions will be available as the local plan progresses (as set out in the engagement strategy).

5.12 It is anticipated that further information about the land availability assessment methodology, including the identification of sites and initial assessments will be published as part of the subsequent ‘plan content and evidence’ consultation next year. This will include information about previously developed/brownfield sites.

Minerals

5.13 Mineral sites submitted through call for sites exercises since 2017 are being reviewed and updated with promoters before assessment. A new minerals land availability assessment methodology will be prepared, based on national guidance, to identify and assess potential sites. This will exclude those that are unsuitable, unavailable or already permitted. Initial site assessments and potential allocation options will be published at later stages of the plan making process.

Waste

5.14 Similar to the approach to minerals, outlined above, waste sites submitted through call for sites exercises since 2022 are being reviewed and updated with promoters before assessment and a new waste land availability assessment methodology will be prepared to assess potential sites with further results of this analysis published later in the plan making process.

Green Belt

5.15 The Green Belt is important for preventing urban sprawl and covers more than 400 km² of Cheshire East. National planning policy now recognises grey belt land, which is Green Belt land that makes only a limited contribution to Green Belt purposes.

5.16 Through the local plan process, Green Belt boundaries can only be changed where development around stations is proposed or where exceptional circumstances exist and development needs cannot be met elsewhere. If such circumstances are identified, priority should be given to developing previously developed (brownfield) land and suitable grey belt sites.

5.17 In managing the approach to Green Belt, the new local plan will:

Assess future development needs.
Maximise the use of brownfield and underused land.
Optimise development densities.
Consider sites outside the Green Belt first.
Assess whether exceptional circumstances justify any Green Belt boundary changes.

5.18 A borough-wide Green Belt assessment is being undertaken to identify grey belt land and help inform any future decisions on potential Green Belt release. Because Green Belt policy is set nationally through the NPPF, the local plan is not expected to introduce additional local Green Belt policies.

Strategic green gap

5.19 Around Crewe, historic growth has reduced the separation between neighbouring settlements, leading to the designation of a strategic green gap to help prevent further coalescence and maintain settlement identity. Unlike Green Belt, strategic green gaps are not defined in national policy, so the future approach to development in strategic green gaps will need to be set out through local plan policies, and evidence will be produced looking at the role and function of the current strategic green gap and how it could function in the future.

Settlement hierarchy

5.20 Cheshire East is a large borough, covering a wide geographic area. It has multiple towns and villages which vary greatly in their size, character, function and form. The current local plan sets a 4-tier settlement hierarchy and a strategy for development at each tier:

Principal towns (Crewe and Macclesfield)
Key service centres (Alsager, Congleton, Handforth, Knutsford, Middlewich, Nantwich, Poynton, Sandbach and Wilmslow)
Local service centres (Alderley Edge, Audlem, Bollington, Bunbury, Chelford, Disley, Goostrey, Haslington, Holmes Chapel, Mobberley, Prestbury, Shavington and Wrenbury)
Other settlements and rural areas

5.21 Within the ‘other settlements and rural areas’ tier, the current plan also lists 35 ‘infill villages’, where limited infilling is appropriate within the defined village boundary.

5.22 Although there is no specific requirement in national policy to set a hierarchy of settlements through the local plan, it is a very common approach to do so. In a borough like Cheshire East, with a large number of very different types of settlements, establishing a settlement hierarchy will form an integral part of the future planning strategy. It will help to inform other issues in the plan, such as the spatial distribution of development, the approach to site allocations and the definition of individual settlement and/or infill boundaries.

5.23 We are currently collecting evidence to inform a review of the settlement hierarchy in the new plan, considering provision of services and facilities, population, jobs, sustainable transport, retail provision and settlement form.

Spatial distribution

5.24 National policy requires plans to set out a spatial strategy, setting clear expectations for the location of development and to promote sustainable patterns of development. Once the overall amount of development has been determined, the new local plan will need to set a strategy for the distribution of this development across the borough.

5.25 A range of factors will influence the distribution of development, and may include matters such as:

Housing demand and availability, house prices and affordability ratios, level of affordable housing need, need for specialist housing (such as for older people), availability of jobs, commuting patterns, infrastructure capacity and constraints, and the level of services and facilities. Some of these matters will help to determine the new local plan settlement hierarchy.
Landscape character, nature and ecology issues, heritage matters, flood risk, agricultural land quality, open spaces and other green infrastructure, Green Belt and strategic green gap designations.
Amount of brownfield and urban land that may become available for re-use, availability of development sites, market attractiveness of locations, development viability.

5.26 Given the scale of development that is likely to be required, the new plan may need to consider a range of options in the distribution of development, potentially including opportunities for densification and further development within existing settlements, edge of settlement growth, large-scale urban extensions and new settlements.

Development in settlements

5.27 National decision-making policies will set out the overall approach to development within settlements, which should be permitted unless the benefits of development are substantially outweighed by any adverse effects, when assessed against the national decision-making policies as a whole.

5.28 The new local plan will consider whether any additional local policies are needed that are in accordance with, but do not repeat the national decision-making policies.

Development in the countryside

5.29 National decision-making policies will also set out the overall approach to development outside of settlements. As proposed, these restrict development to certain forms, and the current local plan includes policies covering different types of development in the countryside. The new local plan will consider whether any local policies are needed that are in accordance with, but do not repeat the national decision-making policies.

Housing

5.30 The Cheshire East Plan identifies that the council’s ambition to unlock economic prosperity and deliver affordable homes in the right places. Ensuring the provision of sufficient, high-quality housing is a key function of the local plan. While the standard method for calculating local housing need establishes the minimum number of new homes that should be planned for, it does not identify the types, sizes or tenures of homes required to meet the needs of different groups.

5.31 To better understand what types of housing are needed, who requires them and the scale of provision, a Housing Needs Assessment will be prepared. This will identify the key housing issues that the local plan will need to address, including the need for affordable housing, housing for older people, specialist accommodation, self-build and custom housebuilding, and the mix of dwelling sizes and tenures across the borough.

5.32 At the scoping consultation stage, the following matters have been identified as the principal issues for consideration through the local plan.

Affordable housing

5.33 Housing affordability remains a significant challenge in Cheshire East, with many households unable to access market housing. There are geographical variations in affordability across the borough, and more evidence will be needed to understand these differences and how they could be addressed. For many households on lower incomes, access to housing will only be achieved through the provision of affordable housing at below-market sale or rent levels.

5.34 However, delivery of affordable housing since 2010 has been strong with an average of 477 affordable homes being completed per year compared to the Local Plan Strategy requirement of 455 affordable dwellings per annum.

5.35 National policy changes place greater emphasis on delivering affordable housing, particularly those for social rent, and may require higher levels of affordable housing on sites released from the Green Belt. The new local plan will need to establish affordable housing requirements, including the overall number of homes to be provided, and the tenure mix, informed by evidence on housing needs and development viability.

Housing mix

5.36 National policy requires local plans to provide a mix of housing that reflects current and future needs, including different sizes, types and tenures. The draft NPPF places greater emphasis on delivering a diverse housing mix, particularly on larger sites of 150 homes or more, and on demonstrating how the needs of different groups will be met.

5.37 Current local plan policies require a range of house types, sizes and tenures, with evidence showing the greatest need for market housing is three-bedroom homes, while demand for affordable housing is strongest for two-bedroom properties. Updated evidence is being prepared through a Housing Needs Assessment, which will identify the housing requirements of families, older people, smaller households, people with disabilities and those needing affordable housing.

5.38 Future housing mix requirements will need to respond to factors such as an ageing population, changing household sizes, affordability pressures and the need to support sustainable communities. The new local plan provides an opportunity to review and update housing mix policies, including whether specific requirements should apply to different development sites, while taking account of affordable housing delivery and wider planning objectives.

Housing for older people and specialist accommodation

5.39 National planning policy expects local plans to plan for the housing needs of different groups in the community, including older people and those requiring specialist accommodation. The draft NPPF emphasises the need to plan for older persons’ housing, including identifying sites or setting requirements where there is an identified need.

5.40 The demographic profile of the borough is expected to change over the plan period as a result of an ageing population. This is likely to increase the demand for a variety of housing options including adaptable and accessible homes as well as specialist accommodation such as retirement housing, extra-care housing, housing with care, residential care, nursing homes and concepts such as care villages that may deliver a variety of options in close proximity to one another.

5.41 The new local plan will need to consider the amount and type of specialist housing needed and how this can best be delivered, including the location, design and accessibility of such developments. This will be informed by the Housing Needs Assessment.

Gypsy and travellers and travelling showpeople

5.42 Gypsies and travellers are defined in national planning policy as:
‘Persons of nomadic habit of life whatever their race or origin, including such persons who on grounds only of their own or their family’s or dependants’ educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, and all other persons with a cultural tradition of nomadism or of living in a caravan, but excluding members of an organised group of Travelling Showpeople or circus people travelling together as such’.

5.43 National policy requires local plans to assess and plan for the accommodation needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. An updated Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment (GTANA) is being prepared to identify pitch and plot requirements over the plan period.

5.44 The new local plan will need to identify a five-year supply of deliverable sites, together with developable sites for years 6–10 and, where possible, years 11–15. Future provision may come from existing commitments, existing allocations, new site allocations (including extensions to existing sites), or as part of larger mixed-use developments where appropriate.

5.45 As national policy already sets out criteria for determining planning applications for traveller sites, the new local plan should focus on identifying need and site provision rather than duplicating national decision-making policies.

Self-build and custom-build housing

5.46 National policy requires local plans to assess and meet demand for self-build and custom-build housing. The council maintains a register of people seeking serviced plots and has historically met this demand through granting sufficient permissions. Existing local plan policies support self-build and custom-build housing and require larger developments to provide serviced plots where there is evidence of unmet need. The new local plan could retain these policies and consider stronger measures to diversify and increase provision, including requiring co-housing, self-build and custom-build opportunities as part of the housing mix on larger development sites.

Housing diversification and providing for small and medium sized sites

5.47 Diversifying the housing market is a key aspect of the Government’s housing policy. Draft NPPF policy H06, ’Planning for a diverse mix of sites’, requires local plans to allocate land to accommodate at least 10% of the housing requirement on sites no larger than one hectare, and a further 10% on sites between one and 2.5 hectares, unless there are strong reasons why these targets cannot be achieved. It also requires sites that support and enhance the vitality of rural communities and enable villages to grow and thrive, especially where this supports local services.

5.48 Allocating sufficient sites to meet these requirements is likely to be challenging in Cheshire East. The minimum local housing need, calculated using the standard method, is 2,530 dwellings per annum, equivalent to 37,950 dwellings over a 15-year plan period. To meet the requirements for small and medium sized sites:

approximately 3,795 dwellings would need to be delivered on sites of one hectare or less. This could equate to around 125 individual site allocations, assuming an average site density of 30 dwellings per hectare
a further 3,795 dwellings would need to be delivered on sites between one and two and a half hectares. This is likely to equate to approximately 50 to 125 sites depending on site size and density.

5.49 A land availability assessment is currently being prepared. This will identify a range of potential sites of varying sizes and provide the evidence needed to assess whether the small and medium sized sites requirement set out in draft policy can be fully achieved.

Housing standards

5.50 National planning policy allows local planning authorities to require higher standards for new homes through local plan policies where supported by evidence.

Accessibility and wheelchair standards

5.51 Building Regulations M4(1) is the mandatory standard for all new homes. M4(2) Accessible and Adaptable Dwellings and M4(3) Wheelchair User Dwellings are optional standards that can be required through local plans.

5.52 Although the government announced in 2022 an intention to make M4(2) mandatory, this has not yet happened. The draft NPPF indicates local plans should continue to set targets for M4(2) and M4(3) homes and expects at least 40% of new homes delivered over the plan period to meet M4(2) or higher standards.

5.53 The existing development plan already requires accessible housing, and similar requirements could be retained in the new local plan if justified by evidence, including the forthcoming Housing Needs Assessment, which will assess demand for accessible and wheelchair-accessible homes.

Water efficiency standards

5.54 The current mandatory Building Regulations standard is 125 litres per person per day. Local plans can require the optional tighter standard of 110 litres per person per day, subject to evidence and planning conditions.

5.55 In 2025, the government consulted on reducing these standards to 105 litres (mandatory) and 100 litres (optional), but these changes have not been introduced.

5.56 Cheshire East has not previously adopted the tighter standard because it was not designated as an area of serious water stress. However, climate change, increasing demand for water resources and environmental considerations may justify higher water efficiency standards in the future, subject to evidence, viability and deliverability assessments.

Nationally Described Space Standard (NDSS)

5.57 NDSS sets minimum internal space requirements for new homes and can be applied through local plan policy, although it is not part of the Building Regulations. The existing development plan requires all new residential development to meet NDSS.

5.58 The draft NPPF continues to support NDSS as the appropriate mechanism for internal space standards but stresses that such requirements must be clearly justified.

5.59 The new local plan will consider whether to retain or amend the current NDSS requirement, informed by national policy, the Housing Needs Assessment, and viability and deliverability considerations.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

5.60 Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) can play an important role in meeting housing needs, including providing more flexible and lower-cost accommodation for certain groups, such as younger people and those on lower incomes.

5.61 However, high concentrations of HMOs can also give rise to issues relating to residential amenity, parking, waste management and the character of local areas. The existing development plan includes a policy to manage the provision of HMOs, and the council has introduced Article 4 Directions in specific areas to control the change of use from a dwellinghouse to an HMO. The Houses in Multiple Occupation Supplementary Planning Document contains additional guidance on assessing planning applications for HMOs.

5.62 There is an opportunity to consider whether the current approach remains appropriate in the context of the new local plan. This may include reviewing the effectiveness of the existing policy, considering whether guidance contained within the existing Supplementary Planning Document needs to be carried over into the new local plan and whether any changes are needed to manage the location and concentration of HMOs, having regard to local housing needs and the objective of maintaining balanced and sustainable communities.

Other housing policies

5.63 The existing development plan contains additional housing related policies including the subdivision of dwellings, backland development, extensions and alterations, amenity, residential standards such as spacing standards, density and delivery.

5.64 The local plan will need to consider whether these policies are still needed, should be amended, whether they duplicate national development management policy content and/or could be covered via design coding.

Employment and economy

5.65 Cheshire East has a strong and resilient economy, which is central to the Cheshire East Plan 2025–29 commitment of “unlocking prosperity for all”. The borough’s economy was worth £16.9 billion (GVA) in 2023 and is supported by major employers including Bentley, AstraZeneca, Barclays, Royal London, Waters and Mornflake, alongside a strong small and medium-sized business sector. The area also has a significant cultural, heritage and visitor economy contributing around £1 billion annually. Employment rates are higher, and unemployment rates lower, than both regional and national averages.

5.66 National planning policy requires the new local plan to establish a clear economic vision and strategy that supports sustainable economic growth across urban and rural areas. This strategy must take account of national and local economic priorities, including the government’s industrial strategy, the Cheshire and Warrington Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Strategy, the Local Industrial Strategy and the Strategic Economic Plan.

5.67 The local plan must also allocate sufficient employment land to meet current and future needs, including for knowledge-based, high-technology and creative industries, storage and distribution uses, and the expansion or modernisation of important businesses, including those in the leisure and tourism sectors.

5.68 The current local plan seeks to provide at least 380 hectares of employment land between 2010 and 2030 to support average annual jobs growth of 0.7%. Monitoring shows that, as of 31 March 2024, there remained a healthy supply of 375 hectares of employment land and over 112 hectares had been developed since 2010. During this period, the borough achieved average annual jobs growth of 1.3%, significantly exceeding the original target.

5.69 The new local plan will need to assess whether the existing employment land supply is sufficient to meet future needs and will identify additional sites where necessary. It will also review whether local policies are needed to manage economic development in the countryside and protect valuable employment land and premises, while avoiding duplication of national policy. This work will be informed by an Economic Development Needs Assessment and Employment Land Review, which will examine the economic baseline, labour market and demographic trends, commercial property markets, future economic requirements, employment land needs and the suitability of existing employment sites.

Town centres

5.70 Town centres are important social and economic hubs, providing shopping, services and leisure facilities in accessible and sustainable locations. However, town centres across the UK are facing significant challenges due to changing consumer behaviour, including the growth of online shopping, changes in working patterns, the popularity of retail parks and technological developments such as online banking. These trends have reduced footfall, contributed to store and bank closures, and led some major retailers to relocate to out-of-centre locations.

5.71 As a result, many town centres are increasingly relying on a broader mix of uses to attract visitors. Retail is now one part of a broader mix of reasons for many town centre visits, with leisure, entertainment and evening economy activities becoming increasingly important. National initiatives have therefore focused on creating more diverse and multifunctional town centres, incorporating uses such as community facilities, leisure attractions, cafés, gyms and residential development. Centres that have diversified their offer have generally been more successful than those that remain heavily dependent on traditional retail.

5.72 National planning policy, changes to use classes and permitted development rights have supported this diversification, including encouraging more people to live in town centres. Despite this shift, the principle of a “town centre first” approach remains central to national policy, with the objective of maintaining the long-term vitality and viability of centres through mechanisms such as sequential and impact tests.

5.73 Cheshire East has a varied network of centres, including principal town centres, local centres and neighbourhood shopping parades, alongside a number of out-of-centre retail parks. The current Local Plan establishes a hierarchy of centres, with Macclesfield and Crewe designated as Principal Town Centres, and planning policies applied according to each centre’s role and function.

5.74 Consultation on the Local Plan Issues Paper in 2024 highlighted support for maintaining a town centre first approach, encouraging a greater diversity of uses, repurposing underused areas, improving design quality and green infrastructure, and ensuring accessibility for all users. Respondents also emphasised the need to manage potential conflicts between residential development and evening economy uses, such as noise impacts.

5.75 The new Local Plan will establish a strategy to enhance the resilience and future viability of town centres, including exploring public realm issues through an associated Design Code. This work is expected to define a network and hierarchy of centres, plan for the need for town centre uses over the plan period, review town centre boundaries, and set local thresholds for when retail and leisure developments outside town centres must undertake impact assessments. Supporting evidence is expected to include a Retail Study and Town Centre Health Checks.

Minerals

5.76 The new Local Plan will need to establish a minerals strategy based on an understanding of Cheshire East’s mineral resources, future demand, and environmental and community constraints affecting extraction. The borough contains a range of mineral resources including clay, peat, coal, hydrocarbons (oil and gas), salt, sandstone and sand.

5.77 National policy requires plans to maintain a sufficient supply of minerals of national and local importance, particularly aggregates and industrial minerals such as silica sand and salt. In contrast, national policy is becoming increasingly restrictive towards fossil fuel extraction. The draft NPPF states that new sites or extensions for peat and coal extraction should not be identified, supports the transition away from fossil fuels, and limits new oil and gas development outside licensed areas. It also introduces greater emphasis on critical and growth minerals, including sodium compounds, due to their importance for economic growth, national security and the transition to net zero.

5.78 Several mineral resources within Cheshire East have limited future potential. Clay resources are present but are not considered likely to be economically viable. Peat occurs in a number of locations, but national policy prevents the allocation of new extraction sites. Coal resources remain beneath much of the borough but are largely deep underground, there are no active coal workings, and national policy opposes new coal extraction. Previous oil and gas exploration licences have expired, and national policy supports limiting future fossil fuel development.

5.79 Salt is one of the borough’s most important mineral resources. Cheshire accounts for around 85% of UK salt production, with brine extraction taking place beneath Cheshire East and processing centred at Middlewich. Salt is identified as a critical mineral and is essential to chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries. The Local Plan will therefore need to ensure a sufficient long-term supply. Former salt caverns also provide nationally important gas storage facilities and may have future potential for hydrogen and carbon storage technologies.

5.80 In relation to aggregates, national policy requires mineral planning authorities to maintain landbanks of at least seven years for sand and gravel and ten years for crushed rock. Cheshire East currently faces challenges in meeting these requirements. While there are nine permitted sandstone quarries and substantial sandstone reserves, these mainly produce building and ornamental stone rather than aggregate. Quarries that historically supplied crushed rock aggregate have been inactive for several years, meaning the council currently has no recognised crushed rock aggregate reserve and relies entirely on imports from outside the borough.

5.81 Aggregate sand and gravel provision is also below national policy requirements. The 2025 Local Aggregate Assessment identified a landbank of between 4.6 and 5.8 years, below the required seven years, despite an estimated reserve of 1.61 million tonnes at the end of 2024. This reflects wider regional trends of declining reserves and increasing reliance on imported aggregates.

5.82 The borough’s silica sand resource is nationally significant, providing almost 44% of England’s production in 2018. Four operational sand quarries remain in the borough, with an estimated reserve of 12.29 million tonnes. National policy requires at least ten years of reserves at silica sand sites, or fifteen years where significant capital investment is required. At the end of 2024, two of the four silica sand quarries met this requirement while two did not.

5.83 The Local Plan must also identify Mineral Safeguarding Areas (MSAs) and safeguard important mineral resources and infrastructure from sterilisation by non-mineral development. This includes safeguarding mineral extraction opportunities, transport and processing facilities, concrete production facilities, and sites handling recycled and secondary aggregates. A dedicated topic paper will be prepared to inform the approach to mineral resource and infrastructure safeguarding.

Waste

5.84 The NPPF identifies waste reduction as an important element of sustainable development and climate change mitigation and The National Planning Policy for Waste (NPPW) requires waste planning authorities to move waste up the waste hierarchy, provide an appropriate range of waste management facilities, and support sustainable communities through effective waste management.

5.85 To inform the new Local Plan, Cheshire East commissioned a Waste Needs Assessment (WNA) in 2023. The assessment examined current and future waste arisings, existing waste management capacity, potential capacity gaps, and the ability of facilities both within and outside the borough to meet future needs.

5.86 The WNA concluded that there is sufficient existing capacity within Cheshire East to manage recycling and composting, inert recovery and hazardous waste up to 2041. It also found that no additional provision is required for low-level radioactive waste, agricultural waste or wastewater during this period.

5.87 The main issue identified was a future shortfall in residual waste management capacity, particularly for local authority collected waste and commercial and industrial waste that cannot be recycled. Earlier assumptions that some of this need could be met through landfill capacity at Kinderton Lodge are no longer valid because the site no longer benefits from planning permission. However, the assessment indicates that remaining capacity elsewhere in the Northwest may be sufficient to accommodate future needs. A shortfall was also identified in “other recovery” capacity, which may potentially be met through facilities elsewhere in the region, including energy-from-waste plants. Further discussions with neighbouring authorities will be required as the plan progresses.

5.88 Despite these capacity issues, the priority remains to move waste higher up the waste hierarchy by increasing recycling, composting and other recovery methods, helping to reduce residual waste in line with government expectations. New waste management facilities that support these objectives, such as recycling, composting and anaerobic digestion facilities, should therefore continue to be supported. An updated Waste Needs Assessment will be prepared to extend forecasts at least to 2045 and reassess future capacity requirements.

5.89 Significant legislative and policy changes are also affecting the waste sector. These include Simpler Recycling requirements, separate food waste collections, Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme in 2027, and the extension of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to the waste sector. These changes are expected to influence future waste volumes, collection systems, recycling infrastructure needs and the adoption of technologies such as carbon capture.

5.90 The Local Plan will also seek to safeguard existing and permitted waste management facilities to ensure they remain available to serve the borough. Safeguarding will protect sites from incompatible development, support the efficient operation of waste facilities and help achieve the council’s objective of maintaining a sustainable and broadly self-sufficient network of waste management infrastructure.

Transport and infrastructure

5.91 Transport and infrastructure are essential to supporting sustainable communities and accommodating future growth in Cheshire East. Effective transport networks connect people to employment, services, facilities and social opportunities, while planning policies can help improve accessibility, reduce reliance on private cars and encourage more sustainable modes of travel such as walking, cycling and public transport. The Local Plan will form part of a wider framework of transport policies and strategies operating at national, regional, borough and local levels.

5.92 Alongside transport, a broad range of infrastructure is required to support communities and development, including utilities (water, gas and electricity), telecommunications, green infrastructure, health facilities and community services. Identifying the infrastructure needed to support planned growth is a key requirement of the new Local Plan.

5.93 National planning policy requires a vision-led approach to transport planning, promoting sustainable travel patterns, making effective use of existing transport infrastructure and planning for new infrastructure where necessary. The Local Plan must also establish local parking standards that reflect its transport vision. More generally, it must identify infrastructure requirements and the contributions that new development will be expected to make towards delivering both on-site and off-site infrastructure.

5.94 The new Local Plan will also need to include policies relating to Manchester Airport, including managing the impacts of aircraft noise, supporting appropriate airport-related development and ensuring that development does not compromise aviation safety.

5.95 Preparation of the Local Plan will be informed by a range of evidence, including the Local Transport Plan and the Manchester Airport Sustainable Development Plan. An Infrastructure Issues and Context Report is being prepared to establish the current position and identify key challenges. This will be followed by an Infrastructure Delivery Plan, which will set out the infrastructure required to support the Local Plan, including delivery priorities, costs, funding sources, timescales and responsible delivery organisations.

Natural environment

5.96 The natural environment is a highly valued asset in Cheshire East and the new Local Plan will play an important role in protecting and enhancing it for current and future generations. Natural assets, often described as natural capital, provide significant environmental, social, health and economic benefits.

5.97 Consultation on the Local Plan Issues Paper in 2024 highlighted strong public interest in protecting and enhancing biodiversity, implementing biodiversity net gain, supporting the emerging Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), reversing woodland loss, promoting trees and hedgerows, protecting valued landscapes and addressing the impacts of light pollution on wildlife.

5.98 National planning policy places significant emphasis on conserving and enhancing the natural environment, including landscapes, biodiversity, geological features, soils, trees and woodlands. It recognises the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside and provides increasing levels of protection according to the importance of environmental assets, with the highest level of protection afforded to nationally and internationally designated sites.

5.99 The location and design of future development will need to take full account of its impacts on natural assets. This will be reflected in site selection processes and informed by Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment. The Local Plan is expected to include policies covering the hierarchy of designated environmental sites, opportunities for habitat and landscape conservation and enhancement, and standards for open space, green infrastructure and potentially biodiversity net gain requirements that exceed national minimum standards where justified and deliverable.

5.100 Emerging national design guidance identifies nature as a key component of well-designed places, promoting the integration of green infrastructure, high-quality public open spaces, trees, wildlife-friendly planting, water features and sustainable water management into development.

5.101 Cheshire East contains a rich range of natural assets, including valued landscapes, ancient woodland and internationally important biodiversity sites. While these assets require strong protection, the Local Plan will also seek opportunities to enhance environmental quality across the borough, including in areas not currently recognised for their ecological value.

5.102 The borough will also need to contribute to reversing biodiversity decline. A key influence on the new Local Plan will be the Cheshire and Warrington Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which sets priorities and actions for nature recovery and identifies important existing habitats and opportunities for habitat creation and enhancement.

5.103 Evidence supporting this part of the Local Plan is expected to include a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (including Level 2 and a refresh of Level 1), a Climate Change and Renewable Energy Study, and a Peat Study.

Health and wellbeing

5.104 Health and wellbeing are closely linked to economic prosperity and sustainable communities. While access to healthcare services is important, health outcomes are influenced by a much wider range of factors.

5.105 Key determinants of health include access to suitable housing, education, employment opportunities, adequate income, infrastructure, green spaces, leisure and cultural facilities, and information that supports healthy lifestyle choices. Together, these factors form the foundations of healthy and resilient communities.

5.106 The draft NPPF promotes the creation of healthy and inclusive places, supports development that helps deliver appropriate services and facilities, and seeks to retain, improve and provide community facilities that contribute to wellbeing and help reduce inequalities.

5.107 National policy also requires development to be appropriate to its location by taking account of risks from pollution and other hazards, mitigating any harmful impacts, and ensuring that sufficient provision is made for infrastructure and development required for public safety and security.

5.108 These themes have been identified as key matters for consideration in preparing the new Local Plan and will help shape future planning policies relating to health, wellbeing and community infrastructure.

Pollution and Contamination

5.109 Pollution from air quality, water, soils, noise, vibration and contaminated land can harm human health, the environment and residential amenity. Air pollution is linked to serious health conditions including heart disease and cancer, and particularly affects children, older people and those with existing health conditions. There is also growing recognition of the harmful effects of light pollution on wildlife and human wellbeing. Manchester Airport, located on the borough’s northern boundary, creates aircraft noise impacts across parts of Cheshire East. The Local Plan will need to include measures to minimise pollution and create healthier environments.

Public Safety

5.110 Creating safe and secure places is essential to sustainable communities. The Safer Cheshire East Partnership identifies key priorities including cybercrime, serious violence, violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, sexual offences, substance misuse, and organised crime. The Local Plan will need to consider how the design and layout of development can contribute to safer communities and reduce both crime and the fear of crime.

Health and Health Inequalities

5.111 Significant health inequalities exist across Cheshire East, with life expectancy varying by more than 12 years between some communities. Areas experiencing greater deprivation often experience poorer health outcomes, lower educational attainment, lower employment levels and greater pressure on health and social care services. The Local Plan will need to support healthy and inclusive communities through access to community facilities, public services, recreation opportunities and green spaces. This may include local standards for outdoor recreation and the designation of Local Green Spaces. Development should also promote healthy lifestyles through good housing design, access to services, high-quality living environments and inclusive design for people of all ages and abilities.

Active Travel

5.112 Active travel, including walking, cycling, wheeling, mobility scooters, adapted cycles and e-bikes, offers health, environmental and economic benefits. The Local Plan will need to encourage active travel both in new developments and existing areas, helping to reduce congestion and emissions while improving physical and mental wellbeing.

Climate Change

5.113 Climate change is a major challenge, with global temperatures already having risen by more than 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels. The UK has a legal commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, while Cheshire East aims to become carbon neutral by 2045. National planning policy supports both emissions reduction and climate resilience, and a Climate Change and Renewable Energy Study will form part of the evidence base for the Local Plan.

Climate Change Adaptation

5.114 As climate change impacts are already occurring, the Local Plan will need to promote resilience through its strategic approach to growth distribution and measures such as passive building design, shading and natural ventilation, green roofs and walls, improved water efficiency, flood risk management, sustainable drainage systems, climate-resilient landscaping, and technologies such as energy storage and smart electric vehicle charging.

Reducing Carbon Emissions

5.115 Achieving national and local carbon reduction targets will require emissions reduction to be embedded throughout the Local Plan. Priorities include sustainable construction, improved building energy performance, reduced resource consumption, greater recycling and reuse, enhanced carbon sequestration through tree planting and peatland restoration, efficient land use, and carbon offsetting where necessary. The Plan will also need to reduce transport emissions by supporting electric vehicles, public transport, walking and cycling, sustainable locations for development, digital infrastructure and more efficient freight movements.

Renewable and Low Carbon Energy

5.116 The Local Plan will need to support renewable and low-carbon energy generation, including on-site technologies such as solar panels, heat pumps and wind energy, as well as district heating networks and larger renewable energy schemes. It should also encourage development that reduces reliance on fossil fuels, supports National Grid decarbonisation and incorporates flexible energy systems such as battery storage.

Energy Efficiency

5.117 New development should minimise energy demand through very high efficiency standards and be designed to operate as zero-carbon buildings wherever possible. The Plan will also need to consider embodied carbon in construction, encourage the reuse and refurbishment of existing buildings rather than demolition where appropriate, and promote site and building design that reduces environmental impacts through passive design principles.

Recreation and community facilities

5.118 Leisure, sport and community facilities make an important contribution to physical and mental wellbeing, social cohesion and cultural life. Facilities such as public houses, places of worship, leisure centres and village halls play a vital role in supporting local communities.

5.119 National planning policy promotes the positive provision and use of community facilities, recognising their importance to sustainable communities. It seeks to protect valued facilities from unnecessary loss, particularly where this would reduce residents’ ability to meet day-to-day needs. National policy also encourages an integrated approach to planning community facilities alongside housing and employment development, while the town centre first principle supports locating leisure, cultural and community uses in centres wherever possible to improve accessibility and strengthen town centre vitality.

5.120 National policy also emphasises the importance of maintaining a network of high-quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity, ensuring these assets receive appropriate protection.

5.121 Emerging themes for the new Local Plan include strong protection for community facilities unless there is clear evidence they are no longer needed or viable; ensuring facilities are accessible and inclusive; and encouraging co-location and multi-functional use of buildings and services to maximise community benefits and efficiency.

5.122 Potential policy themes include addressing inequalities and changing community needs, supporting health and wellbeing outcomes, ensuring accessible and high-quality provision through appropriate standards, and safeguarding valued local facilities while accommodating growth.

5.123 Specific focus on rural communities, where maintaining viable facilities can be more challenging, may be needed. Possible approaches include supporting community hubs, encouraging flexible use of existing buildings such as schools and village halls, and promoting community ownership models.

5.124 Evidence to support this area of the Local Plan is expected to include an Indoor Built Facilities Study, Playing Pitch Strategy Update, Infrastructure Delivery Plan, and Open Space Assessments and Strategy.

Heritage

5.125 Cheshire East has a rich and diverse historic environment that includes a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed buildings, conservation areas, registered parks and gardens, a registered battlefield, ancient monuments and a wide range of non-designated heritage assets. Together, these assets make a significant contribution to local character, distinctiveness and sense of place. Information on heritage assets is held within the Cheshire Historic Environment Record (HER), while non-designated assets are identified through the council’s Local List, supported by the recently adopted Heritage and Local List SPD.

5.126 The new Local Plan will need to balance the conservation and enhancement of the historic environment with the delivery of housing, employment and infrastructure. Particular attention will be required to the protection of below-ground archaeology, especially in areas identified for growth or major infrastructure development.

5.127 The Plan is expected to identify and assess both designated and non-designated heritage assets, including their significance, settings, key views and visual relationships, ensuring that development capacity and site allocations reflect heritage sensitivity. It will also identify heritage assets at risk, promote their conservation and adaptive reuse, support heritage-led regeneration, consider the impacts of climate change on heritage assets, and assess the cumulative effects of multiple developments on heritage significance. Opportunities will be taken through site allocations, masterplans, design codes and landscape character work to ensure the historic environment positively influences the quality and character of new development. The Plan will also support the continued development of the Local List to recognise locally important heritage assets.

Conservation areas

5.128 Conservation areas are recognised as important elements of local identity and character. National policy continues to give strong protection to conservation areas and requires their significance to be considered in decision-making. NDMPs are expected to address conservation area policy however, the new Local Plan is likely to seek opportunities to conserve and enhance conservation areas through site allocations, design guidance and masterplanning, while recognising their role in supporting regeneration, town centre vitality, historic building reuse and sustainable development. The adequacy of existing conservation area appraisals and management plans may also be reviewed.

Jodrell Bank World Heritage Site

5.129 Jodrell Bank is of international importance due to its Outstanding Universal Value as a world-leading radio astronomy facility. Supported by a dedicated Management Plan, the site, its buffer zone and wider setting are already protected through existing planning policies. National policy requires great weight to be given to the conservation of World Heritage Sites and supports locally specific policies where necessary to safeguard their significance and operational function.

5.130 The new Local Plan will review whether existing policies for Jodrell Bank remain effective and whether additional guidance or controls are required. The World Heritage Site, its buffer zone and wider setting will be important considerations in determining the location of future housing and employment allocations. Growth will need to be planned in a way that safeguards the significance, setting and operational effectiveness of the Observatory, including assessment of cumulative impacts from multiple developments and, where necessary, the introduction of specific design or mitigation measures.

Design

5.131 Creating well-designed, sustainable places is a central objective of the planning system, with national policy placing increasing emphasis on design quality as a key component of sustainable development. Recent national guidance, including the National Design Guide, National Model Design Code, draft NPPF and emerging Design and Placemaking guidance, signals a move towards a clearer and more standardised approach to design coding and placemaking.

5.132 For plan-making, there is a shift towards greater reliance on national guidance, with local plans focusing on locally specific design matters rather than duplicating national policies. There is also an increased emphasis on the use of design tools such as design codes, masterplans and development frameworks, particularly for large-scale developments and regeneration areas, and on ensuring compliance with these tools through the decision-making process.

5.133 The need to deliver significant levels of housing over the plan period presents important design challenges, including balancing efficient land use and higher densities with the protection of local character and the creation of high-quality living environments.

5.134 A key issue for the new Local Plan will be moving from broad design policies to a more locally distinctive, measurable, deliverable and outcomes-focused approach. This will involve embedding design coding, recognising local character, integrating design with wider objectives such as climate resilience, health and wellbeing, sustainable transport and innovation, and ensuring the delivery of sufficient high-quality homes.

5.135 The Local Plan could include a spatial assessment of design and placemaking issues; identify where design codes, masterplans or other design tools are required; address matters such as local character, important views, density and efficient land use; and establish mechanisms for design review, monitoring and updating.

5.136 With the introduction of the reformed planning system, existing Supplementary Planning Documents, including the Cheshire East Design Guide and Sustainable Drainage Guide, will eventually be superseded. The council will therefore need to review existing planning guidance and determine what should be incorporated into the Local Plan, progressed through supplementary plans, or discontinued.

5.137 The council will also need to decide how best to implement design coding. Options include preparing a borough-wide design code as a supplementary plan or establishing a strategic design framework within the Local Plan, supported by more detailed area-specific or site-specific codes prepared separately. This latter approach could provide a strategic borough-wide framework while allowing flexibility to respond to local circumstances.

5.138 Overall, the new Local Plan will need to establish a clear design and placemaking framework that balances strategic direction with detailed design control to deliver high-quality, sustainable and locally distinctive places across Cheshire East.

Local plan evidence base

5.139 Reliable and up to date evidence will be vitally important to provide an understanding of the local context looking at needs, opportunities and constraints, and providing the justification for proposals in the local plan. Under the reformed plan-making system, evidence should be proportionate, not unnecessarily extensive and drawn from suitable up-to-date sources.

5.140 Given the size and diverse character of Cheshire East, alongside the significant growth pressures in the area, there will be a need to base the new local plan on a comprehensive suite of robust evidence, covering a large number of topics.

5.141 Some of the required evidence exists already, including other local and subregional strategies, but much of the evidence will need to be developed.

5.142 The government requires us to make use of any standardised tools, methods and templates that it publishes to assist in evidence preparation. However, only a very basic template for site assessment and selection has been published to date.

Wider strategies

5.143 A number of wider plans and strategies will help to inform the new local plan:

Existing evidence

5.144 Some evidence has already been prepared to support the production of the new local plan:

Cheshire East Local Aggregates Assessment (updated each year)
Cheshire Sand Study
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (level 1)

New evidence

5.145 A body of further evidence is also either in production, or planned:

Aggregate apportionment evidence
Baselining and monitoring
Climate change and renewable energy study
Design code (could be incorporated into local plan?)
Determining site allocations (stage 3 & stage 4 assessment)
Economic development needs assessment and employment land review
Gypsy and Traveller accommodation needs assessment
Habitats Regulations Assessment
Heritage assessment
Highways network modelling
Housing needs assessment
Infrastructure delivery plan
Infrastructure issues and context report
Jodrell Bank Observatory evidence
Land availability assessment (stage 1 identification and stage 2 sift & assess)
Land availability assessment methodology
Minerals and waste resource and infrastructure safeguarding report
Retail study
Sandstone and crushed rock study
Settlement hierarchy review
Spatial distribution of development report
Strategic flood risk assessment (level 2)
Strategic green gap review
Sustainability appraisal (including Strategic Environmental Assessment)
Town centres study
Viability assessment
Waste needs assessment