Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 5688

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Liberty Land

Agent: Asteer Planning

Liberty considers that the proposed Local Plan period to March 2045 should be extended to 2050. Although acknowledging that the proposed 15-year period meets minimum national policy requirements, it argues that a longer timeframe would provide greater flexibility for delays in plan preparation and support major strategic development and infrastructure with longer lead-in times. An extended plan period would also help maintain a resilient supply of housing and employment land, reduce the risk of future land shortages and provide greater long-term certainty for communities, landowners, developers and infrastructure providers regarding Cheshire East’s development strategy.

Comment

Representation ID: 5689

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Liberty Land

Agent: Asteer Planning

Liberty considers that the new Local Plan should establish an ambitious, proactive and delivery-focused framework for sustainable growth that meets Cheshire East’s identified development needs. It argues that the Plan should complement the emerging Cheshire and Warrington Spatial Development Strategy while also identifying opportunities within Cheshire East that can contribute to local and wider development requirements. The respondent considers that the Plan’s vision and objectives should respond positively to the scale of anticipated growth, support development both during and beyond the plan period and maximise the opportunities arising from growth across the Borough.

Comment

Representation ID: 5690

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Liberty Land

Agent: Asteer Planning

Liberty supports a comprehensive and transparent assessment of potential development sites to ensure sufficient land is identified to meet Cheshire East’s housing and employment needs. It argues that the site selection process should remain flexible and avoid overly prescriptive criteria that could prematurely exclude development opportunities. The land availability assessment should consider site suitability, availability and deliverability, alongside each site’s contribution to the wider spatial strategy and sustainability objectives. Liberty considers that these principles should underpin the assessment methodology and subsequent selection of sites for development.

Comment

Representation ID: 5691

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Liberty Land

Agent: Asteer Planning

Where sites are located within the Green Belt, the assessment should be undertaken in accordance with the NPPF (Policies GB1 to GB8 and Annex E) and in particular, should clearly identify land that falls within the definition of Grey Belt to ensure that such land is properly considered through the wider site selection process. Given the scale of CEC’s housing requirement and current housing land supply position, it is considered that a significant quantum of grey belt land will need to be identified.

Comment

Representation ID: 5692

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Liberty Land

Agent: Asteer Planning

The location of a site should be a fundamental consideration, with greater weight given to sites that are well related to existing settlements, particularly those that can form logical extensions to established urban areas and benefit from existing services, facilities, employment opportunities and infrastructure. This should be underpinned by a balanced spatial approach to growth across the Borough, that does not concentrate development in limited locations, and which supports growth on the edge of principal settlements (such as Crewe) and Key Service Centres (such as Wilmslow); as well as in smaller settlements where proportionate growth is required to support future vitality.

Comment

Representation ID: 5693

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Liberty Land

Agent: Asteer Planning

Liberty argues that site selection should prioritise sustainable accessibility to public transport, walking, cycling, services and employment, with appropriate housing growth directed to locations such as Crewe and Wilmslow. Assessments should consider ownership, market attractiveness, infrastructure, constraints and delivery timescales, recognising the longer lead-in periods of strategic sites. Liberty favours comparative assessment and professional judgement rather than rigid scoring, alongside maintaining a continuous supply of land for short-, medium- and long-term needs. It supports further opportunities to submit or update sites and calls for a transparent, published methodology enabling promoters to understand assessments and provide evidence addressing identified constraints.

Comment

Representation ID: 5694

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Liberty Land

Agent: Asteer Planning

Liberty supports a comprehensive and impartial review of Green Belt land across Cheshire East, including identification of areas meeting the NPPF definition of Grey Belt. It considers the review necessary given the scale of development required through the new Local Plan. The findings should be considered alongside housing and employment needs, the emerging spatial strategy and the sustainability and deliverability of individual sites. Liberty argues that potential Green Belt release should also be assessed in relation to existing settlements, accessibility to services and facilities, transport connections and the potential to create sustainable patterns of development.

Comment

Representation ID: 5695

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Liberty Land

Agent: Asteer Planning

Liberty supports CEC undertaking an up-to-date review of the settlement hierarchy to help guide the distribution of growth across Cheshire East. The hierarchy should, however, provide sufficient flexibility to recognise the different roles and capacities of individual settlements and should be closely aligned with the principles of sustainable development.
Liberty supports an approach whereby the Principal Towns (such as Crewe) and Key Service Centres (such as Wilmslow) continue to accommodate a large proportion of the Borough’s future growth, reflecting their established role, range of services and facilities, accessibility and ability to support sustainable patterns of development.

Comment

Representation ID: 5696

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Liberty Land

Agent: Asteer Planning

Liberty supports a balanced spatial strategy that distributes growth according to housing and employment needs, infrastructure capacity, accessibility, settlement function and sustainability. It considers that edge-of-settlement growth can support existing services and provide opportunities for new or improved infrastructure. Strategic urban extensions could deliver benefits including schools, community facilities, affordable housing, sustainable transport, green space and biodiversity improvements. Liberty argues that development should be directed towards locations with sustainable access to employment, services and facilities, while making effective use of infrastructure. It supports proportionate growth across Cheshire East’s Principal Towns and Key Service Centres.

Comment

Representation ID: 5697

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Liberty Land

Agent: Asteer Planning

Liberty argues that overall housing need should be identified as a principal issue for the new Local Plan, highlighting increased annual housing requirements and the Council’s current housing land supply position. It calls for a resilient and flexible portfolio of allocations capable of maintaining a five-year housing land supply and reducing reliance on speculative development. Liberty supports an updated Housing Needs Assessment and a positive approach to meeting identified housing requirements. It advocates a balanced portfolio of development opportunities, combining strategic urban extensions with smaller sustainable sites, to provide certainty and ensure housing delivery remains resilient and responsive throughout the Local Plan period.