Under the Labour Government’s new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), Cheshire East is already bracing itself for a wave of planning applications from speculative developers. Under the new framework, Labour-led Cheshire East is being told to increase housing numbers by 150% (from 977 dwellings per annum (dpa) to 2461 dpa).
The Conservative Group are bringing forward a Notice of Motion to this week’s Full Council Meeting asking Cheshire East’s Labour-Independent Administration to write to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to challenge this unprecedented rise that significantly exceeds targets set for poorer performing Councils.
Under Cheshire East’s current Local Development Plan (2010-2030), housing construction had exceeded previous targets providing a “five-year housing needs supply” of over five years. Under Labour’s new proposals, Cheshire East’s housing supply is slashed to just over three years, signalling a free-for-all for developers and land agents. (For example, proposed “public consultations” being arranged by developers around the Haslington Ward alone, already exceed 1,000 proposed dwellings.)
Whilst the need for housing is well understood, this cannot be determined by developers in a frenzy of land-banking and application accumulation, but must be organised in a way that ensures the necessary wider infrastructure is in place (schools, doctors, amenities), whilst also preserving the environment and Cheshire’s essential “Quality of Place” - the historic, rural ambience that makes Cheshire a good place to live.
Conservative Group Leader Cllr Stewart Gardiner (Knutsford) who has a professional planning background and serves on the Strategic Planning Board will be proposing the Motion, seconded by Cllr Steve Edgar (Haslington) who is also an experienced member of the Strategic Planning Board.
The Motion that will be heard on Wednesday is as follows:
NOTICE OF MOTION
Submitted to Council in Accordance with the Council Procedural Rules.
1 Housing Target
Proposed by Councillor S Gardiner and Seconded by Councillor S Edgar
This Council notes:
1.1 That there is a national need to provide additional housing to meet the needs of the expanding population.
1.2 The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework introduced by the Labour government have significantly increased the housing targets for Cheshire East from 977 dwellings per annum (dpa) to 2461 dpa, an uplift of over 250%.
1.3 The scale of the increased housing targets is such that the Council’s Land Supply has fallen well below that required to meet the revised 5-year requirement.
1.4 This increase should be seen against a backdrop of house-building targets in other areas of the country, which have performed less well than Cheshire Council, yet are being reduced.
This Council believes:
2.1 The scale of the increase in housing targets, without allowing Councils like ours a reasonable time to adjust to the new target, undermines the policies set out in existing Local and Neighbourhood Plans.
Notwithstanding the existential threat to Neighbourhood Plans owing to the proposed changes to how they are funded.
2.2 The fact that this Council now has a less than 5-year housing land supply enables developers to once again, submit speculative applications, outside of existing settlement boundaries, even within the
Green Belt, otherwise than in accordance with existing Local & Neighbourhood plans with an expectation that those applications will be approved, if necessary, on appeal.
2.3 As a consequence of the Council no longer having a 5-year land supply, Communities are being deprived of the opportunity to help shape the future of their neighbourhoods.
This Council resolves to:
3.1 Ask the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council to write jointly to the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government to firstly seek a reduction in the Housing Target and also to request the
creation of a reasonable period of grace within which any shortfall in the Council’s land supply may be set aside, allowing the full weight of existing local or neighbourhood plans to be applied.
[END]
https://moderngov.cheshireeast.gov.uk/ecminutes/documents/s126072/Notices%20of%20Motion.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework--2
