Nether Alderley Neighbourhood Plan Regulation 16 Consultation

These comments are provided by CV Planning on behalf of Alderley Park Limited.

We welcome the additions to the Plan at para 3.4 which clarify the LPS61 allocation for Alderley Park and that the policies of the Neighbourhood Plan need to be read in the context of the allocation policy and Alderley Park Development Framework.

Section 8 of the Plan does not reference the latest updates to the NPPF including the definition of grey belt and should be updated accordingly. Policy HD1 should identify that not all aspects of the Design Codes & Guidance will be applicable to Alderley Park, for example, redevelopment of brownfield land in Alderley Park should not be required to satisfy HD1 B) as it is not comparable to Nether Alderley Village. Rewording the policy so that Alderley Park is identified as being assessed against LPS61, the Alderley Park Development Framework, HD1 and the Design Code 'where relevant and appropriate to do so' is one suggested way of clarifying this matter satisfactorily or, as previously suggested in our 25th May 2023 representations, Alderley Park should be excluded from being assessed against this policy given its unique status and existing allocation.

Policy LE2 should contain wording to clarify that this only applies to land outside of the Alderley Park LPS61 allocated site. As a minimum this should be clarified in the supporting text.

Policy LE3 sets out a test to 'not impact negatively' on existing green and blue infrastructure. It is suggested that the policy test should be amended to avoiding unacceptable impacts.

In relation to Policy CC1, Alderley Park, we maintain our comments as made in the representations dated May 2023. To ensure that the proposed policy is consistent with the Development Plan when read as a whole, an adjustment to the policy was suggested, so the reader is aware that the Neighbourhood Plan is not to be read in isolation, nor that the policy is seeking to restrict development at Alderley Park to the uses identified in the first bullet point. Revised wording is suggested below for the first part of Policy CC1:

‘In addition to the forms of development identified in the Alderley Park Local Plan allocation (site LPS61), developments within Alderley Park will be supported that…’

These comments are provided on behalf of Alderley Park Limited in response to the Nether Alderley Neighbourhood Plan Design Codes and Guidance.

The overarching content of the guidance is supported including the 3 pillars of design response. The developments at Alderley Park including modern housing provide some of the very best examples of quality design in Cheshire East today. There are elements of the Design Code that need to reflect that Alderley Park is a unique place and that not all of the guidance/code will be applicable. Examples include the content at B2, because Alderley Park contains a vast array of architectural examples, large commercial buildings, contemporary office complexes and laboratories etc. This is also the case in respect of C2, design principles, for example the requirement for a maximum building height of 3 storeys does not correspond with the existing built fabric of Alderley Park and in particular the life science and office complex at Mereside, where redevelopment for buildings of above 3 storeys is likely to be acceptable. This could be addressed by the document containing a clear statement that the design policies of the Alderley Park Development Framework take precedence and should be read alongside the LPS61 allocation.