Local plan scoping consultation

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to submit a formal objection to the proposed housing allocations around Chelford as part of the Cheshire East Local Plan Update.
After reviewing the consultation documents, supporting evidence, and recent council statements, I believe the suggested development sites are not justified, not sustainable, and not in the best interests of Chelford or its community.

1. Failure to Meet the Tests of Soundness - For the Local Plan to be considered sound, it must be justified, effective, and consistent with national policy. The proposed allocations in Chelford fail these tests for the following reasons:

• The council has not demonstrated a specific local housing need for Chelford that warrants large-scale greenfield release. Borough-wide housing targets should not be used to justify disproportionate growth in a small rural village.
• Chelford’s infrastructure is already heavily constrained, as acknowledged by Cheshire East councillors. The plan does not show how essential services will be expanded to support further development.
• The proposals undermine Greenbelt purposes, landscape protection, and the requirement for genuinely sustainable development.

2. Disproportionate Growth Already Absorbed by Chelford

Chelford has already experienced significant and disproportionate growth compared to the rest of Cheshire East. Between 2011 and 2024, the village’s population increased by approximately 36%, far exceeding the borough average of 12.9%.

This level of expansion has already altered the settlement’s character and placed pressure on local services. Further allocations would push Chelford beyond a sustainable scale and fundamentally change its rural identity.

3. Infrastructure Constraints Not Addressed

Cheshire East councillors have publicly stated that Chelford’s services are “heavily constrained” and that additional development would “detrimentally increase demand on local infrastructure.”

Key constraints include:

• Limited road capacity and pinch points
• Infrequent public transport
• No demonstrated expansion of school or healthcare provision


The Local Plan does not provide credible mitigation for these issues.

4. Harm to Landscape, Rural Character, and Greenbelt

The proposed sites would result in:

• Loss of open countryside and Grade 2 agricultural land
• Creation of a hard urban edge behind existing homes
• Erosion of Chelford’s agricultural setting and rural identity
• Potential harm to Greenbelt openness and encroachment into sensitive landscape areas

These impacts are irreversible and conflict with both local and national landscape protection policies.

5. Ecological and Drainage Concerns

Many of the fields around Chelford form part of wildlife corridors, mature hedgerow networks, and natural drainage patterns. The proposed allocations:

• Risk disrupting ecological connectivity and biodiversity
• Increase surface water runoff and localised flood risk
• Do not demonstrate how ecological net gain will be achieved

The evidence base does not adequately assess or mitigate these impacts.

6. Call for Sites Submissions Do Not Justify Allocation

Cheshire East has clearly stated that call for sites submissions carry no planning status and do not imply suitability. The council must independently justify each site.

The Chelford submissions appear to have been included due to borough-wide housing pressure rather than genuine local suitability. This is not an appropriate basis for allocation.

7. Impact on Residential Amenity and Setting

The proposed development would significantly reduce the residential amenity of existing homes by removing uninterrupted rural views, introducing noise and activity, and creating an urbanised edge directly behind established properties. The openness of the countryside and the Greenbelt setting contribute strongly to the environmental quality and character of Chelford.

National and local evidence consistently shows that rural landscape amenity, privacy, and tranquillity are key factors in the desirability of residential areas. The loss of these qualities represents a material planning harm and would negatively affect the character and setting of existing dwellings.

This is not a matter of personal preference but a recognised planning consideration relating to loss of outlook, loss of privacy, loss of tranquillity, increased noise and activity, and diminished environmental quality. These harms collectively reduce the amenity value of the area and undermine the established character of Chelford.

8. Unsustainable Location for Further Development

Chelford is a small rural settlement with:

• Limited services
• Poor public transport
• High landscape sensitivity
• Existing disproportionate growth

It is not a sustainable location for large-scale housing development. The Local Plan should prioritise brownfield regeneration, higher-density urban sites, and areas with existing infrastructure capacity rather than rural villages with limited ability to absorb growth.

For the reasons outlined above, the proposed allocations around Chelford fail the tests of soundness, are not justified by local need, would cause significant landscape, ecological, and infrastructure harm, would materially reduce residential amenity and environmental quality, are not sustainable or appropriate for a rural village and do not represent development in the best interests of Chelford or its community.

I therefore request that Cheshire East Council remove the Chelford sites from the Local Plan Update and reconsider more sustainable alternatives. If you would like to speak to me about the above I would be more than willing to discuss this further.

Kind Regards,
Rebecca Nicholson
(Resident of Chelford)