Neighbourhood Planning Background

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

• A Neighbourhood Plan is an opportunity for every resident in Chelford to have a say in how Chelford Parish should develop up to 2030 to meet local needs.
• Neighbourhood Plans are important planning documents. When completed and accepted, the plan will have legal status for planning purposes. Cheshire East planners must use the plan, alongside their local plan, to determine planning decisions of future development in the parish.
• The Neighbourhood Plan must conform to the principles and strategies of the Cheshire East Local Plan and although our plan cannot stop future development, it will give us a major say in influencing and shaping that development.
• There are approximately 50 Neighbourhood Plans in Cheshire East underway or completed. They are being used successfully to help decide planning applications and have been used to fight appeals.
• A Neighbourhood Plan can allocate sites for development and can have a number of policies covering planning issues such as housing, local character and design, the natural environment, community facilities and more.

Why Has Chelford Parish Council Produced a Neighbourhood Plan?

• Our parish is undergoing significant change with two new housing developments, which could increase the population by almost 500 people (+40%) and the housing stock by about 225 dwellings (+40%)
• Chelford is experiencing pressure from landowners and developers to take land out of the green belt and build even more homes. Part 2 of the Local Plan has removed over 20 acres of land from the Green Belt for possible future housing development.
• A Neighbourhood Plan will allow us to state where and how we want future development to occur--housing, businesses, services, infrastructure
• A Neighbourhood Plan will offer us a measure of control and influence to ensure that the parish grows and develops in an appropriate and acceptable way.

How was it Produced?

• The plan is a community plan not a Parish Council Plan, although the Parish Council had overall responsibility for the process
• All interests in the parish have been extensively consulted including residents of all ages, businesses and other organisations and any other interested parties, so that we gained information on their future needs and issues.
• We held public events and consultations at different stages of the Neighbourhood Plan process to ensure that everyone was well informed and had the opportunity to make their views known
• Residents were regularly informed of progress and all relevant documents, information and frequent updates were published on the Village Website and the Parish Council website.
• A wide variety of information and evidence was gathered, which was then analysed in detail and then used it in order to write the plan
• A draft document was put out for public consultation, before being formally submitted to Cheshire East for further consultation, prior to independent examination
• Cheshire East Council organised a referendum of Chelford residents on the electoral roll, at which a substantial majority voted to accept the Plan. The Plan is now a legal document and must be consulted by Cheshire East Council with every planning application
• The Plan was a major project, requiring considerable work by volunteers who were supported by a consultant from Cheshire Community Action and Cheshire East Officers
• The process took over 2 years