Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 2103

Received: 20/08/2026

Respondent: Mr peter powell

Mobberley should be specifically addressed in the evidence base. Cheshire East previously assessed potential development around Mobberley and concluded that no safeguarded-land sites should be allocated there, identifying significant Green Belt and other constraints. The new Green Belt, transport and infrastructure assessments should explain what has materially changed before departing from those conclusions. They should consider highways, drainage/wastewater capacity, aircraft noise, heritage, landscape and ecology, including mature trees, hedgerows and known local bat activity. Cumulative impacts from development around Mobberley and neighbouring settlements should also be assessed, with brownfield and more sustainable locations prioritised.

Comment

Representation ID: 2104

Received: 20/08/2026

Respondent: Mr peter powell

I recognise the requirement to plan for increased housing need, but this should not result in disproportionate growth in constrained rural settlements such as Mobberley. Housing should be directed towards the most sustainable locations based on infrastructure capacity, accessibility and environmental constraints. Mobberley’s Green Belt function, rural road network, drainage/wastewater capacity, aircraft noise, landscape, heritage and ecology should inform the distribution of growth. The Council should also demonstrate that brownfield opportunities and less constrained locations have been maximised before allocating significant development around Mobberley.

Comment

Representation ID: 2105

Received: 20/08/2026

Respondent: Mr peter powell

Mobberley Green Belt should not be assumed to constitute “grey belt”. Cheshire East’s previous assessment found several potential Mobberley development sites made a major contribution to Green Belt purposes. Any new assessment should expressly compare its conclusions with that evidence and explain any material change. Land important to preventing encroachment, maintaining settlement separation and protecting Mobberley’s rural and historic setting should remain protected. Brownfield land and genuinely lower-performing Green Belt should be considered first. Proximity to a railway station should not override Green Belt function, infrastructure, highways, landscape, heritage, aircraft-noise or ecological constraints.

Comment

Representation ID: 2106

Received: 20/08/2026

Respondent: Mr peter powell

I strongly support prioritising brownfield development. The Local Plan should demonstrate that realistic brownfield capacity and regeneration opportunities across Cheshire East have been properly assessed before high-performing Green Belt around settlements such as Mobberley is considered for release. Site selection should compare reasonable alternatives transparently, including infrastructure capacity and environmental impacts. Greenfield development should not be selected simply because promoted sites are readily available. The Call for Sites identifies land availability, not necessarily the most sustainable locations for development.

Comment

Representation ID: 2107

Received: 20/08/2026

Respondent: Mr peter powell

The spatial portrait should specifically recognise the importance of rural settlements such as Mobberley, where Green Belt, historic character, landscape and biodiversity overlap. Mobberley contains mature trees, established hedgerows and habitats used by bats for foraging and commuting. Its surrounding Green Belt also contributes to maintaining its rural setting and separation from wider urban development. These characteristics should be treated as constraints informing the spatial strategy and site selection, not matters left for mitigation after sites are allocated. Agricultural land, ecological connectivity, heritage setting and landscape character should be assessed together when considering future development.

Comment

Representation ID: 2108

Received: 20/08/2026

Respondent: Mr peter powell

The Local Plan should recognise important differences between rural settlements rather than treating connectivity alone as evidence of development capacity. Mobberley is a rural village with a constrained road network, limited services and significant Green Belt, landscape, heritage and environmental constraints. The presence of a railway station should not itself justify substantial growth. Future housing distribution should be proportionate to settlement size, infrastructure and service capacity and environmental constraints, with the cumulative effect of development considered. Maintaining the individual identity and rural setting of villages such as Mobberley should be an explicit consideration in the spatial strategy.

Comment

Representation ID: 2109

Received: 20/08/2026

Respondent: Mr peter powell

Borough-wide demographic averages are insufficient to inform the appropriate distribution of development. The Local Plan should assess demographic change and population growth at settlement level, including existing and projected population, previous housing growth, household composition and resulting requirements for healthcare, education and other infrastructure. For rural settlements such as Mobberley, this evidence should be used to establish what scale of growth can be sustainably accommodated rather than applying borough-wide assumptions. Housing allocations should be accompanied by evidence that the necessary local services and infrastructure have capacity to accommodate the resulting population increase.

Comment

Representation ID: 2110

Received: 20/08/2026

Respondent: Mr peter powell

Previous assessment history must form part of site selection. Where land around Mobberley has previously been assessed and rejected, the new assessment should identify those earlier findings and explain what has materially changed. A Call for Sites submission demonstrates availability, not suitability. Sites should be filtered using Green Belt contribution, highways and safe access, infrastructure capacity, drainage, aircraft noise, heritage, landscape, agricultural land and ecology. Constraints should be considered cumulatively rather than treated individually as matters capable of later mitigation.

Comment

Representation ID: 2111

Received: 20/08/2026

Respondent: Mr peter powell

Mobberley’s Green Belt requires particularly careful assessment. Previous Cheshire East evidence found several potential Mobberley sites made a major contribution to Green Belt purposes and ultimately did not allocate safeguarded land here. Any new assessment identifying such land as grey belt should transparently explain what evidence or circumstances have materially changed. The presence of Mobberley railway station should not itself justify Green Belt release. Brownfield, non-Green-Belt and genuinely lower-performing Green Belt alternatives should be prioritised before land important to preventing encroachment, maintaining settlement separation and preserving Mobberley’s rural setting.

Comment

Representation ID: 2112

Received: 20/08/2026

Respondent: Mr peter powell

Mobberley’s classification and future growth expectations should reflect its actual function and capacity rather than rail connectivity alone. It is a rural village with limited services, a constrained rural road network and significant Green Belt, landscape, heritage, aircraft-noise and environmental constraints. The settlement hierarchy review should assess the capacity and accessibility of healthcare, education, shops, public transport and other everyday services alongside population and infrastructure. Any growth attributed to Mobberley should be demonstrably proportionate to its size, character, services and infrastructure capacity.