CE Conservative’s Challenge to Government’s Housing Targets Receives Unanimous Support from all Parties.

Wednesday, 16 July, 2025

Local News

Conservative Group Leader Cllr Stewart Gardiner presented his Notice of Motion, challenging the Government’s Housing Targets at Full Council today. The motion was seconded by Cllr Steve Edgar (Haslington Ward).

Cllr Gardiner who has a professional background in the planning industry spoke eloquently of the impacts of the proposed 150% rise in housing numbers every year and which has opened the floodgates for a maelstrom of unplanned, speculative and unsustainable planning applications by developers. This ill-considered policy gives free-rein to a developer-led planning system where local democratic input is minimised and both local development plans and neighbourhood plans are undermined.

It was interesting that both Labour and Independent Groups presented additional amendments to the Notice of Motion that (unusually) actually enhanced the motion.

Cllr Nick Manion (CE Council Leader: Labour) proposed an amendment that highlighted the need for targets that must focus on local housing need - specifically social rented and affordable housing.

Cllr Craig Browne (Ind) proposed that an amendment that sought additional support by all Party Group Leaders to engage with the Local Government Association to support our remonstrations to the Minister Angela Raynor MP and her Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Both Cllr Gardiner and Cllr Edgar accepted both amendments as ‘friendly amendments’ and they have been incorporated into the substantive Notice of Motion.

A robust debate ensued engaging members of all parties, highlighting a wide range of both local and strategic issues that would arise from the Labour Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Cllr Hannah Moss (Con: Mobberley) stated:

“…the disastrous consequences of randomly increasing house building targets without proper regard to the local planning process will be felt most keenly in rural wards … where our greenbelt is no longer secure and now under risk of attack by housing developers. This is all thanks to the policy of this Labour government which is half baked, ill considered and with potentially devasting consequences for our open countryside.”

Cllr Janet Clowes (Con: Wybunbury) explained:

“Those of us who lived through the turbulence of the last local plan development process do not underestimate the pain to residents and communities of speculative and unsustainable development sites. This is even more of a threat in the south of the borough where we have no Green Belt areas but where our green fields, country parks and conservation area landscapes are now under threat”.

Other elected members highlighted the need to protect open countryside for food production and to ensure future food security. They highlighted the need to protect wider biodiversity net gain and environmental sustainablility, but throughout the debate, all parties agreed, there is a need for more housing across the UK and that incudes Cheshire East.

HOWEVER, this must not be a green flag for developers - this must be a LOCAL plan-led process based on local housing needs NOT based on the profit margins determined by development company shareholders.

At both Borough and neighbourhood Plan level, five-year housing needs assessments have identified a need for

affordable housing for young people seeking to get a foot on the housing ladder
Social rented housing for vulnerable households and individuals needing secure homes
Smaller homes for first-time buyers or those seeking to down-size.
Accessible homes for those with additional needs.
Sustainable homes close to shops, health and care facilities, schools, good internet connectivity and other amenities. In addition new homes must include robust drainage and flood resilience.

What is not needed is yet more “executive” 4 and 5 bedroom homes in unsustainable locations in precious greenfield/greenbelt locations that undermine the “quality of place” that is fundamental to Cheshire’s identity and wider rural economy.

At Council, this item was preceded by members of the public who had registered to speak. The Conservative Group would like to thank those residents who made the trip to Jodrell Bank and who spoke so eloquently about their well evidenced concerns about the impacts of the Labour Government’s revised housing targets on our communities. So too, this group would like to thank all those residents who contacted elected members prior to the meeting, expressing similar concerns and support for the Notice of Motion.

Finally we thank all those members, of all parties, who engaged constructively in the debate today.

We look forward to receiving the responses of Government and LGA following receipt of the approved communications sent all Cheshire East Group Leaders.

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