Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 6109

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: WSP UK

Seddon Homes supports a review of the settlement hierarchy. The hierarchy should be based on
up-to-date evidence and should prevent suitable sites from being allocated where they are well
related to the settlements and capable of supporting their services and facilities.
The spatial strategy should direct substantial growth to the Principal Towns and Key Service
Centres including Crewe, Macclesfield, Congleton, Middlewich and Nantwich, whilst retaining
flexibility to support a proportionate growth at smaller sustainable settlements.
The hierarchy should also recognise the importance of sustainable travel patterns, including the
proximity to rail stations and key employment locations. Settlements which provide good
connectivity to employment opportunities and public transport infrastructure should be capable of
accommodating an appropriate proportion of future growth. This is particularly relevant given the
increased emphasis within the August 2026 NPPF (Policy S5 (h)) on sustainable locations and
development that supports access to employment, services and public transport.
A positive and flexible hierarchy will enable the Local Plan to allocate a diverse portfolio of
deliverable sites across the borough, including the sites submitted by Seddon Homes, to meet the
Borough’s housing needs in full.

Comment

Representation ID: 6110

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: WSP UK

Seddon Homes supports the consideration of a broad range of spatial options, including
sustainable edge-of-settlement development and urban extensions. The preferred strategy should
be pro-growth and flexible to meet the identified housing needs in full, rather than treating existing
boundaries as fixed constraints.

Development should be distributed having regard to housing demand, affordability, accessibility,
and infrastructure deliverability, with environmental constraints assessed proportionately at site
level.

Comment

Representation ID: 6111

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: WSP UK

Seddon Homes supports the delivery of affordable housing as an integral part of sustainable
residential development. However, the Local Plan’s requirements should be informed by robust
evidence of need and viability, recognising the geographical differences in the housing markets
and development costs across Cheshire East, whilst being able to react to the changing housing
market over the plan period.

Comment

Representation ID: 6112

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: WSP UK

The proposed review of housing mix policies is supported, provided that any requirements are
informed by up-to-date evidence and applied flexibility to reflect local demand, site characteristics,
viability and market conditions. Overly prescriptive requirements could restrict the ability of
housebuilders to respond to changing needs and potentially undermine delivery.
The Local Plan should therefore establish the broad housing outcomes sought, whilst allowing the
detailed mix of dwelling types, sizes and tenures to be determined through individual planning
applications. This would support the delivery of balanced and sustainable communities while
ensuring that development remains responsive and deliverable.

Comment

Representation ID: 6113

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: WSP UK

The preparation of evidence on housing needs of older people and those requiring specialist
accommodation is supported. Any identified need should be addressed through a flexible
approach, recognising that accessible and adaptable general market housing can contribute
alongside specialist provision.
Requirements of particular forms of accommodation, accessibility standards should be justified by
robust evidence that is tested for viability and deliverability. The policy should allow the appropriate
form and scale of provision to respond to local circumstances and site characteristics rather than
imposing a uniform requirement across all residential developments. Sites should be identified for
specialist housing prior to allocation, enabling chosen developers to ensure consistent delivery,
rather than forcing certain housebuilders which may delay delivery. This will support a broader
choice of homes whilst ensuring that the requirements do not unnecessarily constrain housing
delivery.

Comment

Representation ID: 6114

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: WSP UK

The proposed preparation of an updated Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment
(GTANA) and identification of sufficient sites to meet the evidenced need is supported. The Local
Plan should provide a clear and deliverable supply of pitches and plots in appropriate locations,
based on robust evidence and realistic assumptions regarding availability and deliverability.
Where provision is considered as part of a larger mixed-use development, this should be
determined on a site-specific basis and supported by evidence of suitability, need and viability
rather than imposed as a standard requirement on residential allocations.

Comment

Representation ID: 6115

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: WSP UK

The continued provision of self-build and custom-build housing is supported as a means of
diversifying the housing market and increasing customer choice. However, the Local Plan should
not identify specific sites for self/custom-build housing but instead create a policy which allows
plots to come forward in a positive fashion where demand facilitates.

Comment

Representation ID: 6116

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: WSP UK

We support the emphasis on the diversifying the housing market and allocating a greater number
of small and medium sized sites across the borough. Particularly given the minimum housing need
of 2,530 dwellings per annum, equivalent to 37,950 homes over a 15-year plan period.
The land availability assessment should positively identify a broad portfolio of smaller, deliverable
sites, including edge of settlement opportunities, recognising their contribution to housing choice
and distance to local services.
Seddon Homes own a wide range of sites, which are capable of making an early contribution to the
housing supply. For example, land off Crewe Road, Winterley is identified as capable of a single
phase delivery within five years, while Land off Gawsworth Road, Macclesfield is also promoted as
a short-term opportunity.
Allocating such sites alongside larger strategic developments would reduce reliance on a limited
number of complex allocations and support a more flexible and deliverable housing trajectory.

Comment

Representation ID: 6117

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: WSP UK

Seddon Homes support the principle of delivering accessible, water-efficient and appropriately
sized homes. However, any requirements for M4(2), M4(3), water efficient and NDSS should be
clearly justified by proportionate evidence and tested collectively through the Local Plan viability
assessment.
Standards should be applied flexibly to reflect the site characteristics, technical feasibility and
identified local need, particularly for wheelchair accessible housing. It is important that the Council
does not duplicate matters controlled through the National Policy or Building Regulations or impose
cumulative requirements that could undermine housing viability or deliverability.
The August 2026 NPPF establishes a national minimum expectation of 40% accessible homes on
major developments.

Comment

Representation ID: 6118

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: WSP UK

The proposed vision-led approach to transport and infrastructure planning is supported. The Local
Plan should identify the infrastructure necessary to enable planned growth, with transport and
utilities considered alongside the spatial strategy and site allocations process.
Existing infrastructure constraints should not be treated as an automatic barrier to otherwise
sustainable development, where proportionate mitigation, investment or a phased provision can
address the identified impacts.

Importantly, infrastructure requirements and developer contributions should be evidenced-based,
directly related to the development and tested cumulatively through the Local Plan viability
assessment to ensure they do not prejudice housing developer.