Cheshire East could see a massive 36,000 new homes over the next 15 years, according to reports published today (May 13).
That’s a rise of 7,000 on the number originally predicted in the initial draft of the Cheshire East Local Plan.
Council bosses claim new evidence, gathered as part of the revised Local Plan, shows the borough’s economy is likely to grow more quickly than previously expected.
This could spark a demand for as many as 36,000 new homes as the borough looks to create an additional 31,000 jobs.
The council says the rise in the number of houses will be achieved without “major impact” on the Green Belt.
A firm of economic development consultants has projected an average growth rate of 0.7 per cent each year between now and 2030 – compared to 0.4 per cent envisaged in 2009.
As a result, Cheshire East Council has made plans to accommodate an estimated 31,410 net new jobs – up from 13,900 jobs predicted in earlier reports.
But they added that recent planning permissions combined with the new housing proposals in the Local Plan mean the locations for 33,000 homes have already been identified.
Cllr Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “When we began work on the Local Plan in 2009, we were in the midst of a deep recession, during which the UK’s GDP fell by 7.2 per cent.
“In 2012, the sun started shining again and Cheshire East is now in the midst of a jobs boom.
“Because a good proportion of our existing workforce will reach retirement age in the next few years, this means we need to attract more people into the borough to maintain our strong economy.
“Cheshire East is a victim of its own success.
“Unless we want to see our roads clogged by a huge increase in commuter journeys into the area, we need to provide more housing locally to accommodate a likely increase in the number of people working in the borough.”
Cllr Jones claims there will be no “major change” to the Green Belt land around Nantwich and Crewe.
“We are committed to protecting our beautiful countryside and we will accommodate as much as possible of the additional new homes on brownfield sites,” he added.
“Most towns and villages have played their part in providing allocated sites for a proportion of the overall housing number and will continue to do so.
“The council will continue to support its residents, who tell us repeatedly they do not want inappropriate and unsustainable development.
“We will maintain our rigorous approach in resisting proposals which clearly have an adverse impact on the sustainable development of the borough.
“Our priority now is to put a strong plan in place that ensures we have the homes we need to match our growing economic success.
“We maintain that a plan-led approach to development provides the best approach for meeting the needs of future generations, whilst still maintaining the special character of this borough.”
The evidence released by Cheshire East Council today will be submitted to the Planning Inspector by the end of July. Initial examination hearings will begin in early autumn.
These houses are not a foregone conclusion. Tell your local Councillors how you feel, tell your MP how you feel, if your area is preparing a Neighborhood Plan then get involved. If we sit back and do nothing these houses will go ahead and developers will get richer.
The article above says ‘This could spark a demand for as many as 36,000 new homes’.
DEMAND is very different to NEED. I cannot- and do not- accept that there is a NEED for 36,000 houses over 20 years for the period 2010-2030.
If 36,000 houses are needed to 2030, what will the ‘target’ number be for the next plan period beyond 2030? 40,000 houses? 50,000 houses? It doesn’t bear thinking about.
The number 36,000 is a nonsense- based on capitalist greed, not genuine need.
It is pure fantasy. But unfortunately that fantasy is not a nightmare- it will become reality- so start planning to emigrate now, before the county- and, indeed, the entire country- becomes a concrete urban jungle…
When we here any Cheshire East Cllr Jones or any of his colleagues discussing Cheshire East it’s like they don’t live here. How is building more houses going to solve traffic congestion? Does he think that in market towns like Nantwich people walk to work or perhaps ride a horse or Penny Farthing?
We’ve lived here since 1999 and seen the dramatic rise in population and the near strangulation of the roads at peak times. EVERYONE IS A COMMUTER even if its to a local job. How many people drop their kids at school on their way to a local job? Hundreds do. More houses equals more cars and more congestion not less. Try to even walk around a lot of the new estates here – well you can’t because the pavements are blocked with the cars the one house/one parking space buildings can’t accommodate.
Cllr Jones and his colleagues need to actually leave the council offices once in a while – maybe drive through Nantwich or Sandbach or any of the other towns and villages targeted for expansion before they talk about how well they have done to boost are economy and how much better it’ll be for everyone with 36,000 more houses.
You say youve lived here since 1999, your not one of the local NIMBY’s are you, perhaps the house you moved into was one i once moaned about being built. If you dont like the developements move house.
G Belt- you must be related to N Imby??!!!!!
I don’t see any mention here of things like how many more doctors, dentists, nurses and social workers we will need, how many new medical centres will be built, what will be the impact on Leighton hospital, what effect on our roads and bus services. The big problem with a 10million increase in the UK population over the last few years is that these issues are just being ignored and the existing population and residents are just expected to put up with worse services due to added demand. Scandalous!
People moved to Cheshire to get away from the urban sprawl of Manchester and Liverpool. Now they are Going to regret it as soon they will be living in the new urban sprawl of their homes and 36000 more new build homes in a short time. Take a look around at the green fields as soon all you will see are housing estates .retire to Cheshire for a quite life , forget it !
Wow, one week after the elections! What a surprise!