Comments sought on Cheshire East planning guides for infrastructure and environmental protection

Cheshire East Council has published two new planning guides, and is seeking comments from residents and developers on how best to protect the local environment and how the council secures funding for infrastructure projects.

The documents have been produced as part of Cheshire East Council’s objectives to create an ‘open, green and fair’ borough and to ensure schemes do not have a harmful impact on communities.

‘Recovery of Forward Funded Infrastructure Costs’ is a new supplementary planning document (SPD) explaining how the council seeks to recover its investment in new infrastructure projects, such as new roads to open up sites for housing or employment and encourage inward investment. The guide sets out those schemes the council expects to recover costs from, the overall amount and how the developer’s contribution is calculated.

The council has also prepared an environmental protection SPD. This will assist council decision making, while providing guidance to developers. It sets out the type of information the council will require in a planning application, how it applies existing policies and the measures it expects to see to minimise any environmental impact, such as air quality, noise pollution, dust, smells and other pollution. 

The council seeks to minimise the potential impact of development on local communities and the environment, while recognising that the right infrastructure supports all our communities to thrive.

Cllr Mick Warren, Cheshire East Council chair of environment and communities, said:

“While an SPD is not part of a statutory development plan, it is an important tool and these two documents set out how developers should expect to contribute to infrastructure that they rely on, and how they should manage and mitigate environmental issues related to their sites.

“This should help developers come up with better designs, make sure their costing is accurate and ensure the council receives the contributions it needs to make growth work for the borough.”

All comments should be received by the council by 29 November by accessing the council’s consultation portal. Comments can also be posted to: Strategic Planning (Westfields), c/o Municipal Buildings, Earle Street, Crewe CW1 2BJ.