Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 3896

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Alsager Town Council

Alsager has suffered from the loss of its Higher Education institution in 2010 as well as the departure of other significant employers. There has been no investment strategy to replace them. This impacts upon housing needs as the Cheshire Community Action Report illustrates: Local median salaries are around £33,607 and the affordability ratio stands at 7.7 so that typical houses recently built are 8 times local salaries. Market rents also tend to exceed local incomes.
As a Key Service Centre, Alsager does provide employment for local sub-regional residents, particularly in healthcare, social care, hair and beauty salons, and takeaways/hospitality.

Comment

Representation ID: 3945

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Alsager Town Council

This largely factual account is noted and ATC welcomes the reference to the green belt around the Potteries conurbation which is important to local communities.(4.15)

Comment

Representation ID: 3949

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Alsager Town Council

As a Key Service Centre, Alsager has around 13,386 residents and 5,925 households. One in four residents are over 65.
In terms of ethnic diversity, approximately 55 of residents are from ethnic minority groups (2021 census) but this has increased in recent years. There has also been an increase in Eastern European residents leaving Crewe for Alsager.
The town provides secondary education for the community's young people and for the sub-region. There are also a number of primary schools in the town as well as churches.

Comment

Representation ID: 3950

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Alsager Town Council

Noted.

Comment

Representation ID: 3953

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Alsager Town Council

Alsager is in line with the rest of Cheshire East in terms ethnic diversity (c.5%) but increasing. It has a higher than average of elderly residents over 65 (.c.26%). East European residents, primarily of Polish origin, has increased in recent years as they have left Crew for Alsager.

Comment

Representation ID: 3955

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Alsager Town Council

Noted.

Comment

Representation ID: 3966

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Alsager Town Council

Visions are largely meaningless to communities unless they are backed up by achievable and SMART objectives and a clear delivery plan. ATC has been clear that it wants more weight to be accorded to social, ecological and environmental impacts of development.
For instance, one of the most frequently cited issues is the deterioration of the road infrastructure and network, the poor quality of road surfaces and patchy repair work that doesn't last, often causing damage to cars. ATC acknowledges that everyone complains about potholes but it does not help when Highways personnel are just dismissive of any problems.

Comment

Representation ID: 3975

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Alsager Town Council

Alsager Town Council would support an 'appropriate strategy for where development should be located' as well as an evidence base that would require assessment of 'infrastructure capacity' and 'environmental constraints' (5.6). It is to be hoped that such an evidence base would allow Cheshire East as a Planning Authority to interrogate development proposals more stringently so that the communities do not pay the 'costs' resulting from the presumption to build.
Alsager Town Council also supports the wider definition of 'growth' suggested here as not wholly dependent on house-building.

Comment

Representation ID: 4002

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Alsager Town Council

ATC has noted the site proposals submitted by landowners and developers and is disappointed that there appears to be no process for dialogue between Cheshire East and Town and Parish Councils with local knowledge as representatives of their communities.
For instance, the West Ward in Alsager has been significantly developed in recent years, arguably with the wrong type of housing driven more by profit-margins than community needs. The same area now has White Moss and Manor Farm, both of which raised ecological and environmental issues. Additional sites on Close Lane should be subject to drainage and flood risk analysis.

Comment

Representation ID: 4013

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Alsager Town Council

Alsager Town Council strongly defends the retainment of green belt and would argue objectively that there are already so many sites for housing planned, in addition to those that have been developed, that building on Green Belt in Alsager is unnecessary. Logically, this should be a factor in the Local Plan designation of sites.