Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 6059

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cllr Paul Woods

• Neighbourhood Plans must be consulted and the Local Plan proposals developed with them at the forefront of considerations. The Scoping document makes little or no mention of Neighbourhood Plans yet they provide an evidenced, high-quality picture of public views and aspirations consistent with the current local plan.
o Neighbourhood Plans should be identified as a source of evidence and should play a prime role in informing CEC about residents’ opinions in this consultation.
o The Gawsworth Neighbourhood Plan should form an important source of evidence and feedback to CEC on the drafting of the new Local Plan as it affects Gawsworth Parish. Many Neighbourhood Plans, including that for Gawsworth, have been made recently after wide local involvement and verification. The vision and many details of Neighbourhood Plans remain valid and should carry significant weight in developing a new Local Plan.
 For example, the vision outlines that Gawsworth Parish will ‘retain its rural character’ and the Village ‘will remain a small peaceful rural village with good connections to surrounding countryside’. Also that ‘Gawsworth Moss will continue to maintain a distinct identity from Macclesfield, but thriving from its connections’ and that ‘Rural Gawsworth will keep its character as beautiful Cheshire countryside based on farming.’ The Neighbourhood Plan objectives include ‘ access to the countryside and green spaces via a wide network of well-maintained footpaths, bridleways and cycle paths’; to ‘improve road safety for pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorists’ and ‘To conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the parish and its environment and the integrity of the greenbelt’
o Proposed changes in the Local Plan which will affect Neighbourhood Plans should be identified, justified and discussed with Parish Councils before formal proposals are made.

Comment

Representation ID: 6060

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cllr Paul Woods

Clear criteria should define strong reasons for resisting Green Belt development, including impacts on village character and settlement gaps. Brownfield and edge-of-town sites should be prioritised over village expansion, with alternatives explored alongside Parish Councils. Gawsworth has limited public transport, active travel and rail connectivity. The Peak Cluster pipeline and associated infrastructure must also be considered when assessing development sites and their deliverability. Gawsworth’s historic setting, Green Belt and environmental assets, including peat deposits, wetlands and woodland, should be protected. Existing environmental assessments should inform site selection and preparation of the Local Plan, alongside consideration of sustainable transport and infrastructure.

Comment

Representation ID: 6061

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cllr Paul Woods

• 4.7 In mentioning the ‘longstanding scientific research’ and AstraZeneca it is misleading to omit that this has shrunk in recent years, with AZ’s research facility at Alderley Park being lost, and with the decision not to place major investment at AZ Macclesfield.
• 4.11. The recent announcement that research will end at Jodrell Bank should be acknowledged.

Comment

Representation ID: 6065

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cllr Paul Woods

Jodrell Bank and Gawsworth Hall should be recognised as significant visitor attractions, alongside Gawsworth’s wider countryside, heritage assets and recreational facilities. The role of villages such as Gawsworth in providing access to green space for surrounding urban communities should be protected. The footpath network and countryside walking should also be recognised for their wellbeing benefits. Cheshire Farms should be retained for agricultural purposes rather than development, while opportunities to improve public countryside access should be explored. The Local Plan should also recognise and support small independent farming businesses.

Comment

Representation ID: 6066

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cllr Paul Woods

• 5.2 – 5.4 Vision and objectives. The Vision Statement and objectives should take note of the Vision and Objectives set out in the Neighbourhood Plans. See Neighbourhood Plan comments above Section 2
• 5.2 – 5.4 Vision and objectives. A high priority should be to minimise the deletion of Green Belt, including designation of Grey Belt. Building on brown field sites and infill within settlements should be preferred wherever possible.
• 5.2 – 5.4 Vision and objectives. Maintaining the character and separation of rural communities and improving the support eg in health and wellbeing should be included. Note that improving deprivation in urban areas is not a reason to deny resources such as those that support health and wellbeing in rural communities.
• 5.2 – 5.4 Vision and objectives. Sustainable travel and active travel should be prioritised when selecting sites for development.
o Sites on the edges of towns with good active transport links to stations, healthcare and shopping facilities should be preferred over village locations where active travel links are absent. Gawsworth Village settlement has no viable active transport links e.g. to Macclesfield station.
o Areas within easy reach of stations should be prioritised for development over those which are more remote.
o ‘Green destinations’ should be identified. These will be communities and areas that are important for access to the countryside, conservation, walking and cycling for pleasure, children’s play etc. Special efforts will be made to support these attributes and their setting. Active transport links to them should be developed. Gawsworth settlement would be one such site which is particularly important, not only to residents, but also to the growing population of nearby Macclesfield.

Comment

Representation ID: 6068

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cllr Paul Woods

Identifying and assessing sites. Improved infrastructure should be put in place at the time of building to support the development proposed

Comment

Representation ID: 6069

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cllr Paul Woods

The Green Belt between Gawsworth and Macclesfield essential for maintaining settlement separation, countryside character and recreational access. Further erosion of the Green Belt should be avoided, particularly north of Gawsworth. Development or grey belt designation should only follow consideration of brownfield alternatives and be limited to small-scale sites that do not undermine Green Belt purposes. Cheshire Farms should remain in agricultural use and not be allocated for development, given their importance to the rural community and potential conflict of interest. Further industrialisation south of Macclesfield should also be resisted due to existing pressures and unsuitable road infrastructure.

Comment

Representation ID: 6071

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cllr Paul Woods

o Any social or affordable housing in Gawsworth Parish should give priority to those with a connection to Gawsworth Parish to maintain family connections, support responsibilities and preserve the nature of rural villages.

Comment

Representation ID: 6072

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cllr Paul Woods

Developments above a few houses should include a mix of social, affordable and market housing. Developments of solely social housing should be avoided, especially in village locations because they would radically alter the nature of the settlement.

Comment

Representation ID: 6073

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Cllr Paul Woods

o Gawsworth has 50+ Peaks and Plains rental homes in the heart of the village settlement, close to the community hub and shop. Adding a significant number of social dwellings in the settlement area would cause an imbalance and local services would be inadequate.
o Gawsworth has a notably older population than Cheshire East and a sizable community of special needs residents. The health and wellbeing needs of rural populations should be evaluated in cooperation with Parish Councils. Support needs should be identified in the Local Plan and delivered in cooperation with local councils, community hubs etc. NB the Tartan Map tool could be particularly unhelpful to rural communities since it is directed towards reassigning health and wellbeing resources towards areas of high deprivation rather than ensuring that each community receives the appropriate support.
o The Local Plan should include a health and wellbeing delivery plan for rural communities.
o Improvements to pavements, dropped curbs, slopes etc. Despite the number of special needs residents in Gawsworth much of the village is inaccessible to them because of inadequate provision for wheelchairs and failure to repair pavements from tree root intrusion. Required changes to infrastructure should be assessed where specialist housing is proposed.
o Any development of social or affordable housing should give priority to those with a true local connection (i.e. within the parish) to benefit from family support. (defining ‘Local Connection’ as anywhere in the borough is at odds with the general understanding of the term and is meaningless in practice.)