Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 6807

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Vita Group

Agent: Asteer Planning

VITA considers the proposed Local Plan period to 2045 should be extended to 2050 to provide a more robust and adaptable framework for long-term growth. While acknowledging that the proposed 15-year period meets national minimum requirements, VITA argues a longer timeframe would provide contingency for delays in plan preparation, examination or adoption and better accommodate the lengthy lead-in times associated with strategic development and major infrastructure. Planning to 2050 would also help maintain a resilient supply of deliverable housing and employment land, reduce the risk of future land shortfalls and provide greater long-term certainty for communities, developers, landowners and infrastructure providers.

Comment

Representation ID: 6808

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Vita Group

Agent: Asteer Planning

VITA considers the Local Plan should establish an ambitious and positive vision for accommodating sustainable growth during and beyond the Plan period. They argue that meeting Cheshire East’s identified development needs should be central to the vision and objectives. The Local Plan should be prepared proactively alongside the emerging Cheshire and Warrington Spatial Development Strategy, complementing the sub-regional strategy while independently identifying opportunities within Cheshire East that could contribute to local and wider development requirements. VITA considers the Plan should not simply respond to growth locations identified through the Spatial Development Strategy but should be proactive, delivery-focused and seek to maximise opportunities arising from future growth.

Comment

Representation ID: 6809

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Vita Group

Agent: Asteer Planning

VITA supports a comprehensive and transparent process for identifying sufficient land to meet housing and employment requirements. They consider site selection criteria should be flexible enough to recognise the different opportunities and characteristics of individual sites and should avoid prematurely excluding development through overly prescriptive requirements. VITA recommends assessing potential sites against established principles of suitability, availability and deliverability, while also considering their contribution to the wider spatial strategy and sustainability objectives. They consider the land availability assessment methodology should enable a balanced evaluation of potential development opportunities and provide an appropriate evidence base for selecting sites capable of contributing to Cheshire East’s future growth needs.

Comment

Representation ID: 6810

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Vita Group

Agent: Asteer Planning

VITA welcomes a comprehensive review of Green Belt land across Cheshire East and considers it should provide a robust and impartial assessment of its role and function in accordance with national policy. They argue the findings should be considered alongside housing and employment needs, the emerging spatial strategy and individual sites’ sustainability, deliverability and characteristics. This should include opportunities to redevelop brownfield land and bring derelict listed buildings back into use. Given Cheshire East’s housing requirement and current housing land supply position, VITA considers that a significant amount of Green Belt land is likely to require release to accommodate future housing development.

Comment

Representation ID: 6811

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Vita Group

Agent: Asteer Planning

The location of a site should be a fundamental consideration. This should be underpinned by a balanced spatial approach to growth across the Borough, and which supports growth on the edge of Key Service Centres (such as Wilmslow).

Comment

Representation ID: 6812

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Vita Group

Agent: Asteer Planning

VITA considers the site assessment methodology should address land ownership, market attractiveness, infrastructure, planning constraints and delivery timescales while providing a diverse mix of site sizes. They favour comparative assessment and professional judgement rather than rigid scoring, allowing positive attributes such as brownfield redevelopment and restoration of listed buildings to be balanced against constraints. Sites should be assessed for their contribution to short, medium and long-term development needs to maintain a continuous land supply. VITA supports further opportunities for site submissions and updates and requests a transparent, detailed methodology enabling landowners and promoters to understand assessments and provide evidence addressing identified constraints.

Comment

Representation ID: 6813

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Vita Group

Agent: Asteer Planning

VITA supports CEC undertaking an up-to-date review of the settlement hierarchy to help guide the distribution of growth across Cheshire East. The hierarchy should, however, provide sufficient flexibility to recognise the different roles and capacities of individual settlements and should be closely aligned with the principles of sustainable development.
VITA supports an approach whereby Key Service Centres (such as Wilmslow) continue to accommodate a large proportion of the Borough’s future growth, reflecting their established role, range of services and facilities, accessibility and ability to support sustainable patterns of development.

Comment

Representation ID: 6814

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Vita Group

Agent: Asteer Planning

VITA supports a balanced spatial strategy considering different locations and forms of development, informed by housing and employment needs, infrastructure capacity, settlement function, accessibility and commuting patterns. They consider edge-of-settlement growth can support the vitality and sustainability of existing communities by strengthening local services and, where appropriate, enabling new or improved infrastructure. Growth should be directed towards locations offering sustainable access to employment, services and facilities while making effective use of existing infrastructure. VITA advocates proportionate growth across Key Service Centres, including Wilmslow, where additional development could contribute to sustainable patterns of growth and strengthen existing settlements.

Comment

Representation ID: 6815

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Vita Group

Agent: Asteer Planning

VITA considers overall housing need should be identified as a principal Local Plan issue, highlighting the increased requirement of 2,424 dwellings per annum and the Council’s reported 3.3-year housing land supply. They argue the Plan should provide a resilient and flexible portfolio of allocations capable of maintaining a five-year supply, providing greater certainty and reducing reliance on speculative development. VITA supports an updated Housing Needs Assessment and positive planning to meet identified requirements. They advocate a balanced portfolio of housing allocations, including strategic urban extensions and smaller sustainable sites, to ensure housing delivery remains robust and responsive throughout the Plan period.

Comment

Representation ID: 6816

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Vita Group

Agent: Asteer Planning

VITA supports the opportunity identified by CEC to review and update the housing mix policies within the emerging Local Plan. VITA considers that a flexible approach should be implemented, which enables development to respond to local needs rather than having a broad brush approach across the Borough. A flexible policy approach should reflect local circumstances across the borough, respond to market demands, and remain flexible to changes such as demographic change throughout the Plan period.