Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 6845

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Mrs Gill Hughes

Agent: Claremont Planning

The respondent promotes Mere Hills Farm, identified as Land North of Pepper Street (CFS26 489), for allocation in the emerging Local Plan. They consider the site suitable, available and achievable for development, with technical evidence demonstrating no constraints preventing delivery. A current planning application is cited as evidence that the site could be brought forward quickly and contribute towards housing needs during the early years of the Plan. The respondent considers development would create a sustainable residential community at Chelford and requests that the Council recognises the site’s deliverability and sustainability through the assessment process and allocates Mere Hills Farm for development.

Comment

Representation ID: 6846

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Mrs Gill Hughes

Agent: Claremont Planning

The respondent considers house prices and affordability ratios inappropriate for determining the spatial distribution of development and argues that sustainable transport and infrastructure should instead guide growth. They promote Mere Hills Farm as a suitable location, highlighting Chelford’s existing services, amenities and sustainable transport connections, including its railway station with services to Crewe and Manchester. The site is within walking distance of these facilities and is subject to planning application 26/2010/OUT. Proposed development would also provide community infrastructure, including a new GP surgery. The respondent therefore considers Chelford a sustainable location capable of accommodating further growth through the emerging spatial strategy.

Comment

Representation ID: 6847

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Mrs Gill Hughes

Agent: Claremont Planning

The respondent supports the Local Plan’s proposed protection of community facilities and its focus on ensuring adequate provision within rural communities. They also support approaches encouraging community hubs and the flexible use of existing buildings. The promoted development, currently subject to planning application 26/2010/OUT, would provide new buildings for community uses alongside premises for local businesses. The respondent considers these proposals would contribute towards the Council’s objectives for maintaining and improving rural community facilities. They therefore argue that the contribution the promoted site could make towards supporting community infrastructure and local businesses should be recognised through its allocation in the emerging Local Plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 6848

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Mrs Gill Hughes

Agent: Claremont Planning

With regards to design considerations, Paragraphs 5.135 and 5.136 of the Scoping Document identify that the Council is considering whether to include a spatial assessment of design and placemaking issues and policies relating to density and efficient land use within the Local Plan. As set out at Section 3.7 of these representations, in order to ensure that the new Local Plan is consistent with the revised Framework, it is recommended that the Council address detailed design matters through the preparation of supplementary plans. Policy PM4 of the Framework specifically identifies that supplementary plans are the appropriate mechanism for addressing and setting out locally specific design requirements.

Comment

Representation ID: 6849

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Mrs Gill Hughes

Agent: Claremont Planning

Paragraphs 6.51 to 6.56 of the Scoping Document identifies that the Council will place an emphasis on engaging positively with site promoters at each stage of the Local Plan’s preparation. This is considered to represent a positive approach to plan-making, and recognises that the input of developers, site promoters, and landowners is essential in ensuring that the Local Plan can be found to be sound and evidenced based, by providing a strategy that allocates sufficient land to meet the borough’s identified housing need. Claremont Planning, on behalf of Mrs Hughes, are committed to engaging positively with the Council at every possible stage of the Local Plan review process.

Comment

Representation ID: 6850

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Mrs Gill Hughes

Agent: Claremont Planning

The respondent strongly objects to the proposed use of artificial intelligence to review, analyse or record Local Plan consultation responses. Although acknowledging that AI would not determine planning policy, they consider it lacks the capability to understand sufficiently the nuances and complexities of planning and development matters. The respondent is concerned that using AI for consultation analysis could result in representations being misunderstood, misinterpreted or incorrectly recorded. They therefore request that the Council does not use artificial intelligence to review or record their representations and considers that consultation submissions should instead be reviewed in a way that ensures their planning arguments and intended meaning are accurately understood.

Comment

Representation ID: 6851

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Mrs Gill Hughes

Agent: Claremont Planning

Claremont Planning concludes that Mere Hills Farm, Chelford should be positively considered for allocation in the Local Plan. They consider the site suitable, available and deliverable, capable of providing housing alongside community infrastructure, including an expanded GP surgery and premises for local businesses. They argue the Scoping Document places too much emphasis on difficulties arising from housing land supply shortfalls and should instead adopt a more positive approach to meeting housing needs and delivering sustainable growth. They also strongly object to artificial intelligence being used to analyse their representation and request that the Council considers their submission as the Local Plan progresses.