Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 6675

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cheshire Fresh Ltd

Agent: Spawforths

The respondent highlights national policy requirements for Local Plans to positively plan for sustainable development and meet identified housing, employment and other development needs as a minimum. They emphasise supporting economic growth, increasing housing supply and providing sufficient land for development. The Local Plan should establish a positive spatial strategy, consider longer-term infrastructure and strategic development, and comply with legal and national policy requirements. The respondent highlights the tests of soundness, requiring the Plan to be positive, appropriate, effective, consistent with national policy and in conformity with any Spatial Development Strategy. They also emphasise the importance of viability, deliverability and available implementation resources.

Comment

Representation ID: 6676

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cheshire Fresh Ltd

Agent: Spawforths

Cheshire Fresh welcomes continued engagement with the Council throughout preparation of the Local Plan, including involvement in developing the evidence base and site selection methodology. They emphasise that the Plan should be prepared in accordance with the August 2026 National Planning Policy Framework. In particular, they highlight national policy requiring Local Plans not to duplicate, substantially restate or conflict with national decision-making policies. Cheshire Fresh considers this principle should inform the scope and preparation of the new Local Plan and its approach to soundness. They therefore recommend avoiding unnecessary repetition of national policies and focusing local policies on matters requiring a specifically local planning response.

Comment

Representation ID: 6677

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cheshire Fresh Ltd

Agent: Spawforths

Cheshire Fresh considers the Local Plan should use a Local Housing Need figure of 2,531 dwellings per annum rather than rounding this down to 2,530. They argue that reducing the figure is inappropriate given national policy seeking a substantial increase in housing supply. Cheshire Fresh considers the Local Plan should meet the Borough’s objectively assessed housing needs as a minimum and highlights national policy requiring housing needs assessments to establish the overall number of homes required. In the absence of a Spatial Development Strategy, they consider the Local Plan must establish an appropriate housing requirement that meets at least the identified Local Housing Need.

Comment

Representation ID: 6678

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cheshire Fresh Ltd

Agent: Spawforths

Cheshire Fresh considers the Local Plan baseline insufficiently comprehensive and recommends further analysis of housing, employment, infrastructure, wider strategies, opportunities and constraints, supported by spatial mapping. They welcome recognition of Cheshire East’s strategic transport connections and Crewe’s rail, manufacturing and engineering strengths but consider Crewe’s growth opportunities should be more clearly identified. They highlight Crewe’s connectivity, skilled workforce, advanced manufacturing base, educational assets and relatively affordable land as advantages for future growth. Cheshire Fresh argues that investment and development around Crewe could deliver social and economic benefits, support regeneration and address deprivation, and should be positively reflected within the Plan’s vision, objectives and policies.

Comment

Representation ID: 6679

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cheshire Fresh Ltd

Agent: Spawforths

Cheshire Fresh considers the Local Plan period should be extended to at least 25 years. They argue that although the proposed timeframe exceeds national minimum requirements, strategic sites, major urban extensions, new settlements and associated infrastructure have lengthy lead-in periods that require longer-term planning. A longer period would provide greater certainty and support delivery of strategic-scale development and infrastructure. Cheshire Fresh also highlights the absence of a Spatial Development Strategy, which would normally provide a longer-term framework for growth. They consider the Local Plan should therefore establish a longer-term positive development strategy and help manage the transition to a future Spatial Development Strategy.

Comment

Representation ID: 6680

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cheshire Fresh Ltd

Agent: Spawforths

Cheshire Fresh considers the Local Plan vision should be ambitious, locally distinctive and address both plan-period and longer-term growth. It should positively plan for housing and economic development, including considering housing provision above minimum need where justified. They recommend recognising Cheshire East’s strategic road connectivity and Crewe’s rail connections, regeneration needs and growth potential, with Land at Weavers Green identified as capable of contributing to development needs. Cheshire Fresh also considers measurable outcomes should align with the vision and monitor housing delivery by quantity, location, size, type and tenure, alongside employment needs, economic growth and delivery against Plan targets.

Comment

Representation ID: 6681

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cheshire Fresh Ltd

Agent: Spawforths

Cheshire Fresh considers the Local Plan should positively plan to meet development needs as a minimum, with housing provision exceeding assessed need where justified by neighbouring authorities’ unmet needs, economic growth or infrastructure investment. They emphasise that the Plan must be supported by a robust evidence base establishing housing and other development needs and identifying opportunities for future growth. Cheshire Fresh considers this evidence should also examine cross-boundary strategic matters and take account of relevant investment plans, economic strategies and industrial strategies. This evidence should inform a positive spatial strategy capable of accommodating identified needs and supporting sustainable economic and housing growth.

Comment

Representation ID: 6682

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cheshire Fresh Ltd

Agent: Spawforths

Cheshire Fresh supports preparation of a SHELAA to assess potential development sites for suitability, availability and achievability and filter out unsuitable locations. They consider landowners, promoters, agents and developers should be involved in developing the methodology and assumptions, which should be clearly evidenced. Cheshire Fresh welcomes further engagement as the SHELAA progresses. They highlight their submission of Red Hall Farm, identified by the Council as Land West of Middlewich Hall, through the Call for Sites process. They consider the site available, suitable, achievable and deliverable, and note that a planning application has been submitted, potentially enabling early delivery and a contribution to land supply.

Comment

Representation ID: 6683

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cheshire Fresh Ltd

Agent: Spawforths

Cheshire Fresh does not support Strategic Gaps as an additional planning constraint unless robust evidence demonstrates they are necessary to maintain settlement separation and identity. They highlight national policy requiring such designations to be no larger than necessary and not apply within the Green Belt. They consider existing national policies already provide protection for settlement identity, character, landscape and the natural environment, reducing the need for additional local designations. Where Strategic Gaps are justified, Cheshire Fresh argues they should only include land essential to their purpose and should retain flexibility for development consistent with the wider growth strategy where settlement separation would not be undermined.

Comment

Representation ID: 6684

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cheshire Fresh Ltd

Agent: Spawforths

Cheshire Fresh supports reviewing the settlement hierarchy and considers it should reflect both existing sustainability and opportunities for future growth. Assessments should consider potential infrastructure and sustainable transport improvements and the ability of development to support existing services and facilities. In the absence of a Spatial Development Strategy, the hierarchy should also reflect wider economic strategies, including support for advanced manufacturing, transport and logistics. Cheshire Fresh considers Crewe should remain a Principal Town and a key focus for growth, reflecting its strategic rail connectivity, economic role and presence of key industrial sectors, alongside its capacity to accommodate sustainable future development.