A Planning Inspector has backed Cheshire East’s delayed Local Plan for shaping future development – almost three years after it was first submitted.
But the authority still faces a further delay before the Plan is formally adopted.
The Local Plan was first submitted in May 2014 after five years of drafting, but was criticised by the Planning Inspectorate for not addressing the five-year housing supply needs.
It meant the authority was forced to spend another £3.7 million on a revised version.
The authority was heavily criticised as the delay has allowed many developers to win appeals and build homes on green spaces and fields in and around Nantwich which were initially refused.
It had to gather almost three more years of public comments and submissions on the council’s proposed strategic blueprint for the borough’s development to 2030.
Now Planning Inspector Stephen Pratt has written to the council saying the locations and extent of development proposed in the plan seem “appropriate, justified, effective, deliverable and soundly based”.
But he has called for some “modifications” to issues relating to other strategic policies in the plan.
This means the council will now has to consult on the recommended main modifications before its final amendment and adoption by the council – causing a further six-week delay from January 2017.
Mr Pratt said the council’s further proposed changes to the Plan seem to address the changes “necessary to ensure the revised plan is sound and legally compliant”.
Cllr Rachel Bailey, (pictured) leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “This is really good news for the people of Cheshire East and I am pleased the inspector has recognised the thoroughness of our evidence gathering and public engagement.
“We are confident our Local Plan… will give the people of Cheshire East its best protection against unplanned and unsustainable development.”
Changes it had to make included additional and amended strategic sites for development to accommodate more housing.
The council received 19,572 representations from 4,679 members of the public or groups during the most recent consultation.
Cllr Ainsley Arnold, cabinet member for housing and planning, said: “The Local Plan is the council’s most important tool for shaping development in Cheshire East up to 2030 and we now look forward to moving forward to its formal adoption in the spring.
“There has been a tremendous response from our residents and other stakeholders during the extensive 10 rounds of public consultations on our proposals and I’m sure it has allowed everyone to feel they had the opportunity to have their say.”
Planning Inspector Stephen Pratt said, who has scrutinised around 20 Local Plan examinations in his career, said Cheshire East’s “has been the most complex and challenging Local Plan I have ever examined”.
More details at http://cheshireeast-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/planning/cs/library
They certainly know how to spend our money , plan after plan and nothing to show for it . They ask for people to submit ideas for houses , but in this area all planning applications in the recent years have been refused so why would anyone risk the expense of applying. The say they’re committiedto keeping the area rural then ask where can they build houses. They are a load of loud mouthed amateurs sucking off us with their expenses .