Local plan scoping consultation
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Local plan scoping consultation
Brownfield development
Representation ID: 1886
Received: 06/08/2026
Respondent: Mark Hadfield
Brownfield First
Before any productive agricultural land or Green Belt is considered for allocation, Cheshire East
Council should clearly demonstrate that all suitable previously developed (Brownfield) land has been
fully assessed and prioritised for redevelopment.
Cheshire East has 172 brownfield sites covering over 350 acres at the latest count, which should form
the starting point for future growth and align with the Government’s national planning policy.
I understand that not all of these sites may be suited to residential housing developments, however,
there are plenty of disused mills and sites which are no longer industrial areas and, on the face of it,
perfectly suited for converting into apartments to help satisfy affordable housing demands.
We may no longer have the industries that once filled some of these buildings, but they were built
during our industrial heyday and are an important part of any town's character, heritage and identity.
Adelphi Mill and Clarence Mill in Bollington are examples of how historic buildings can be
successfully converted to breathe a new lease of life as businesses or housing. Other examples
include the mills and sites around New Islington in Manchester which have been successfully
transformed into thriving mixed-use communities while retaining their historic character and charm.
Cheshire East Council has an opportunity and a responsibility to prioritise, protect and regenerate
these historic brownfield sites, and to preserve the look and feel of Cheshire’s towns for future
generations, rather than allowing these important assets to continue to deteriorate while
development pressure is directed towards Green Belt and productive agricultural land.
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ref. MH_CEC Local Plan 060826
National and local policy require a “Brownfield first” approach, and for good reason, it protects
precisely the landscapes that are now under threat. Choosing Green Belt simply because it is cheaper
and more profitable is not a justification.
Our Green Belt land is a precious commodity which Cheshire East Council is entrusted to safeguard
for our children, our grandchildren and generations beyond. Once this countryside is gone, it cannot
be recreated!
Comment
Local plan scoping consultation
Transport and infrastructure
Representation ID: 1887
Received: 06/08/2026
Respondent: Mark Hadfield
2. Infrastructure Before Development
Any further housing growth should only take place where there is clear evidence that the existing
infrastructure can support the planned growth. This should include roads and traffic capacity, public
transport, healthcare, education, water supply, wastewater capacity, utilities and digital
infrastructure.
This sounds like a fundamental part of any planning framework, however, many of our vital services
are already operating close to, or beyond capacity, yet Cheshire East Council appears to be adding to
the problem by overloading our systems by approving more and more housing planning applications
without plans or funding for any infrastructure upgrades.
Comment
Local plan scoping consultation
Increase in housing requirements
Representation ID: 1888
Received: 06/08/2026
Respondent: Mark Hadfield
3. Housing Land Supply
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply until 2028, has created a
significant weakness in the current planning framework, which is currently being exploited by
developers and speculators.
Developers are responding to the Council's current position and their inability to demonstrate a five
year housing land supply by speculatively buying as much as possible around Cheshire East and
applying for planning permission on previously safeguarded land, including Green Belt land, factoring
in the assumption that planning applications may get refused.
Where planning permission is refused, developers are winning on appeal precisely because the
council is unable to demonstrate their five-year housing land supply!
This results in a financial hit for Cheshire East in legal costs and fines for appealing the case and, in
some cases, the loss of section 106 contributions which are agreed between the council and a
property developer, to fund infrastructure mitigating the impact of the housing.
The planning permission floodgates are effectively wide open for developers to take full advantage
and the situation will continue to worsen, if the Local Plan process is not accompanied by an urgent
recalculation of the five-year housing land supply or the publication of an interim report
demonstrating that Cheshire has sufficient land allocated to meet the housing supply demands for
the next five years.
Comment
Local plan scoping consultation
Natural environment
Representation ID: 1891
Received: 06/08/2026
Respondent: Mark Hadfield
4. Protect Productive Agricultural Land and Support an Environment Improvement Plan
Productive farmland is a finite national resource which contributes to the UK’s food security,
biodiversity, flood management and climate resilience.
Parts of it have remained virtually unchanged for hundreds of years. They contain ancient woodland,
veteran trees and centuries-old hedgerows that support some of the UK’s rarest species. These are
living systems that have developed over generations. You cannot replace 200-year-old oak trees with
newly planted saplings and call it “habitat creation” or “biodiversity net gain”. These practices
disguise the fact that the net ecological value would be overwhelmingly negative.
ref. MH_CEC Local Plan 060826
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There is also a huge contradiction between the developments being proposed and the Government’s
own “Environmental Improvement Plan”.
The EIP promises to:
• rewild and restore nature
• improve water quality
• give people better access to nature
• help communities breathe clean air
• and support farmers to produce food sustainably while protecting soil, water and wildlife
The 15-year Local Plan and mass development proposal would do the exact opposite.
It would threaten our Green Belt land, destroy ancient woodland and wildlife habitats, and wipe out
multiple working farms and highly productive agricultural land. You cannot “rewild England” while
bulldozing some of Cheshire’s largest remaining areas of unbroken countryside. It is simply
incompatible!
Developments should avoid the unnecessary loss of high-quality agricultural land wherever
reasonable alternatives exist.
Comment
Local plan scoping consultation
Increase in housing requirements
Representation ID: 1892
Received: 06/08/2026
Respondent: Mark Hadfield
Sustainable and Proportionate Growth
Future housing allocations should reflect the size, character and infrastructure capacity of existing
settlements and support proportional growth based on demand throughout Cheshire East.
The 15-year development plan should be proportionate, needs-led and evidence-based rather than
simply responding to speculative land submissions
Comment
Local plan scoping consultation
6 Proposed local plan engagement strategy
Representation ID: 1894
Received: 06/08/2026
Respondent: Mark Hadfield
Transparency and Community Engagement
The preparation of this Local Plan presents an opportunity to engage with residents and rebuild
public confidence in the planning process, yet Cheshire East Council has failed to publicise or
promote the plan’s existence widely, allowing only a six-week consultation during the main summer
holiday period to gather any feedback from residents!
The Council's new Community Voices initiative encourages residents to "talk together". Given the
significance of a Local Plan blueprint and that it will shape Cheshire East for the next fifteen years, I
am concerned that the consultation period is limited to only six weeks and coincides with the main
summer holiday period when many residents, councillors and officers may be away.
I would respectfully ask that the Council considers extending its 1st September deadline with a wider
public awareness campaign to gather feedback from residents, parish councils and community
groups before strategic allocations are mad
Comment
Local plan scoping consultation
Local plan evidence base
Representation ID: 1896
Received: 06/08/2026
Respondent: Mark Hadfield
7. Evidence-Based Decision Making
This Local Plan represents one of the most important decisions Cheshire East Council will make for a
generation. The choices made now will not only shape how Cheshire East develops, but also where
people live, the character of our towns and villages, where people work, the resilience of our
infrastructure, how people travel, the future of our farms and agricultural land, and how our natural
habitats, wildlife and countryside are protected.
ref. MH_CEC Local Plan 060826
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Given the irreversible nature of these decisions, I respectfully ask that the Council clearly explains the
reasons behind every proposed site allocation and makes the supporting evidence easy for residents
to access and understand.
It is equally important that the Council actively engages with Cheshire East residents, community
groups and parish councils throughout the process, listening to local views and responding to what
communities want and need.
Residents must be able to understand not only what has been proposed, but why each location has
been chosen over reasonable alternatives, and how these choices serve both current and future
generations of Cheshire East residents.
Greater openness at every stage, and transparent publication of the evidence behind each decision,
is essential in rebuilding public confidence and trust in Cheshire East Council and the planning
process.
