Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 5918

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Bruntwood MTL Limited

Agent: Asteer Planning

Bruntwood considers that the proposed Local Plan period to March 2045 should be extended to at least 2050. While acknowledging that a 15-year period meets minimum national policy requirements, they argue that a longer timeframe would provide greater flexibility and resilience, including contingency for delays in plan preparation, examination or adoption. Extending the Plan would better reflect the long lead-in times associated with strategic housing, infrastructure and other development, while helping maintain a robust pipeline of deliverable housing and employment sites. Bruntwood considers this would provide greater long-term certainty for communities, landowners, developers and infrastructure providers.

Comment

Representation ID: 5919

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Bruntwood MTL Limited

Agent: Asteer Planning

Bruntwood considers that the Local Plan vision should be ambitious, positive and focused on delivering Cheshire East’s identified housing needs in full. It should maximise urban capacity and previously developed land, including suitable employment sites and brownfield land within the Green Belt, such as Booths Park. However, Bruntwood argues that greenfield, edge-of-settlement and safeguarded land will also be necessary to meet housing requirements. The Plan should identify sustainable locations for growth and align proactively with the emerging Cheshire and Warrington Spatial Development Strategy, including identifying broad locations capable of delivering significant housing, employment and regeneration.

Comment

Representation ID: 5920

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Bruntwood MTL Limited

Agent: Asteer Planning

Bruntwood supports a comprehensive and transparent site assessment process but argues that it should remain flexible and proactive to ensure sufficient land is identified for Cheshire East’s housing and employment needs. The methodology should consider previously developed land, Grey Belt and employment sites that may no longer be required for their existing use. Sites should be assessed for suitability, availability and deliverability, alongside their contribution to sustainability and the wider spatial strategy. Bruntwood cautions against overly restrictive early-stage criteria and argues that opportunities for reuse and redevelopment should be recognised where they could contribute to housing delivery and wider regeneration objectives.

Comment

Representation ID: 5921

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Bruntwood MTL Limited

Agent: Asteer Planning

The methodology should place particular emphasis on identifying previously developed land, including vacant, underutilised and previously developed sites within the Green Belt and open countryside. Such sites should be positively assessed for their potential to contribute towards meeting housing and other development needs, having regard to their location, sustainability, deliverability and the opportunities they present for regeneration and the efficient use of land and existing infrastructure.

Comment

Representation ID: 5922

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Bruntwood MTL Limited

Agent: Asteer Planning

The assessment process should include a comprehensive review of existing employment allocations and sites. Not all land currently in employment use will necessarily remain suitable, viable or required for employment purposes over the plan period. The methodology should therefore consider the suitability and market attractiveness of employment sites, their existing and likely future employment function, and the reasonable prospects of a planning application being made and implemented for employment development. Where there is no reasonable prospect of continued employment use, the potential for the site to meet the Borough’s identified needs (such as housing) should be considered.

Comment

Representation ID: 5923

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Bruntwood MTL Limited

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 (with a focus on previously developed land, which by definition is 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: 5924

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Bruntwood MTL Limited

Agent: Asteer Planning

The location of a site should remain a fundamental consideration, with appropriate weight given to sites that are well related to existing settlements and which can form logical extensions to established urban areas or make effective use of existing settlements, services, facilities, employment opportunities and infrastructure. This should include consideration of previously developed and Grey Belt sites which, notwithstanding their location outside existing settlement boundaries, have a strong functional and spatial relationship with existing settlements.

Comment

Representation ID: 5925

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Bruntwood MTL Limited

Agent: Asteer Planning

Site selection should have regard to the principles of sustainable development and should consider the extent to which sites can be served by, and provide convenient access to public transport, walking and cycling networks. The availability of local services, facilities and employment opportunities should also be considered; including where existing services could be improved.

Sustainability should be considered in the round and should not be assessed solely by reference to a site's current relationship with settlement boundaries. The potential for development to improve connectivity, support existing services and facilities, remediate or regenerate previously developed land and make efficient use of existing infrastructure should all be relevant considerations.

Comment

Representation ID: 5926

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Bruntwood MTL Limited

Agent: Asteer Planning

Bruntwood advocates a comparative and flexible approach to site assessment rather than reliance solely on absolute scoring. It is argued that sites with constraints may still offer more sustainable and deliverable opportunities than unconstrained sites in less accessible locations. The Council should apply professional judgement and consider the overall merits of sites, including opportunities to redevelop previously developed land, Grey Belt and former employment sites. Bruntwood also calls for evidence submitted by site promoters to be fully considered, particularly where it demonstrates that constraints can be addressed, infrastructure delivered and sites can contribute positively to the Local Plan’s objectives.

Comment

Representation ID: 5927

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Bruntwood MTL Limited

Agent: Asteer Planning

Bruntwood calls for a diverse and resilient supply of development land capable of meeting short-, medium- and long-term housing needs. They support a portfolio including urban and redevelopment sites, previously developed land, Grey Belt, former employment sites and, where necessary, sustainable greenfield and edge-of-settlement locations. Bruntwood welcomes further opportunities to submit or update sites as the Local Plan progresses and calls for a transparent, published assessment methodology. This should allow landowners and promoters to respond to identified constraints and help prioritise sustainable, deliverable development opportunities, particularly previously developed and Grey Belt land, before greater reliance on undeveloped land.