Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 5188

Received: 30/08/2026

Respondent: Gawsworth Parish Council

Vision and Objectives
Paras 5.1-5.4
The vision for a new local plan should be one of a sustainable borough which has retained its rural
character with distinct communities.
Specific objectives to be considered to drive the plan should be for the local plan to:
• Minimise the release of additional green belt, with a substantial amount of the required
development taking place on brownfield sites
• Deliver improvement to active travel networks and other forms of sustainable transport,
including bus and rail connectivity
• Protect sensitive habitats and promote nature restoration
• Deliver environmentally sustainable development which minimises ongoing carbon emissions

Comment

Representation ID: 5189

Received: 30/08/2026

Respondent: Gawsworth Parish Council

Identifying and assessing sites
Paras 5.5-5.5.12
Parish and town councils should be involved in the detailed site selection process such that they can
direct where development in their communities takes place (if it is required) and provide requirements
for local investment/facilities that such development should provide.
Where any site considered for allocation is owned by Cheshire East Council, there should be a robust
process to ensure that there is no actual nor apparent conflict of interest. Council owned farms should
not be promoted for development.

Comment

Representation ID: 5190

Received: 30/08/2026

Respondent: Gawsworth Parish Council

Green Belt and Strategic Green Gap
Paras 5.15-5.19
All possible alternatives to the release of additional Green Belt land should be pursued, particularly
the identification and promotion of development on brownfield sites.
The Parish Council is concerned by the impact on the Green Belt of the new Grey Belt definition. There
should be adequate consultation on the identification of Grey Belt to provide opportunity for local
input into the register before it is finalised.
The Parish Council considers that one of the most important functions of the Green Belt is preventing
the merging of settlements. This is most notably a concern with regard to Macclesfield’s southernly
expansion towards Gawsworth. The Local Plan should minimise the merging of settlements.

Comment

Representation ID: 5191

Received: 30/08/2026

Respondent: Gawsworth Parish Council

Affordable Housing
Paras 5.33-5.35
The existing allocation of LPS15 and the safeguarded land of LPS19 are on the edge of Macclesfield,
but within the parish of Gawsworth. The Local Plan should contain a policy confirming that on such
(on the edge of towns but within neighbouring parishes) priority is given equally to those with a
connection to the parish as with a connection to the town.

Comment

Representation ID: 5192

Received: 30/08/2026

Respondent: Gawsworth Parish Council

Natural Environment
Paras 5.96-5.103
The protection and enhancement of the natural environment should be a core principle of the plan.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust should be commissioned to assess the biodiversity/ecological value of land to
ensure that environmentally sensitive sites are not allocated for development.
There should be a policy which ensures the protection of Peat Land, prohibiting development which
risks its degradation.
There should be a policy promoting nature restoration of sites, including Danes Moss North.

Comment

Representation ID: 5193

Received: 30/08/2026

Respondent: Gawsworth Parish Council

Active Travel
Para 5.112
The Local Plan should enhance active travel routes between towns, connecting them in with the
villages and rural communities along the way. The development of active travel routes between
Congleton and Macclesfield would simultaneously benefit Gawsworth and promote the sustainability
of our parish.

Comment

Representation ID: 5194

Received: 30/08/2026

Respondent: Gawsworth Parish Council

Climate Change Adaptation
Paras 5.114-5.117
The new local plan should ensure that new development is designed to adapt to a changing
environment, and to mitigate the impact of development on the climate. Policy should require that all
new housing and employment development includes solar panels, heat pumps and similar measures
to reduce energy consumption.

Comment

Representation ID: 5196

Received: 30/08/2026

Respondent: Gawsworth Parish Council

Green Destinations
Paras 5.118-5.124
The Local Plan should map “green destinations” (or a similar name) being communities and areas
within the borough which are important for access to the countryside, conservation, walking and
cycling for leisure and children’s play. Such areas contribute to the health and wellbeing of residents,
and emphasise the borough’s rural character.
Policy should then resist development which damages these areas, and support development which
promotes their sustainability and retention, such as active travel and transport links.
Gawsworth Village would be one example, important not only to its residents, but frequently visited
by residents of surrounding towns as a hub for enjoying the countryside and a more rural part of the
borough.

Comment

Representation ID: 5197

Received: 30/08/2026

Respondent: Gawsworth Parish Council

Engagement Strategy
Generally
The council should ensure that future consultations are not run over Christmas and summer holiday
periods. This creates a barrier to participation and will lead to critique of the plan and process.
Cheshire East Council should work closely with town and parish councils to ensure that all
communities are represented throughout the process. This should include regular briefings and access
to information (e.g. to answer questions raised in communities). Town and parish councils should be
encourage to promote awareness of the local plan in their communities, and provided with the
resource to do so.
Outside the formal consultation stages, there should be consultation with town and parish councils
on documents created to support the plan e.g. green belt assessment, site assessments etc. This will
ensure councils are consistently engaged, can provide local intelligence and develop their
understanding throughout the process.
Neighbourhood Plans
The Gawsworth Neighbourhood Plan was made in 2021 and Gawsworth Parish Council recognises that
it will need to be reviewed following the adoption of a new Local Plan to ensure it remains relevant.
Neighbourhood Plans should be considered during the drafting of a new Local Plan, with any likely
effects or provisions which appear discordant with a plan being brought to the attention of the
relevant Parish or Town Council.