Local Plan Issues and Options (Regulation 18)

Comment

Representation ID: 7001

Received: 18/08/2025

Respondent: Cheshire West Voluntary Action

I&O_7469
Protect and enhance existing community facilities (policy OS 2) - Require a local viability test before any loss is permitted. Privately owned venues are sometimes declared “surplus” or “incapable of use” without exploring community management or asset transfer. A Community Asset Viability Test—including marketing the asset for community management—should be added so that a facility cannot be released without verifying that no local group is willing to run it. - Avoid “infrastructure drift” by mandating like-for-like replacement within the same settlement. Where facilities are lost through redevelopment, the plan should insist on a replacement of equal or better quality within the same community to prevent gradual erosion of neighbourhood amenities.

Comment

Representation ID: 7002

Received: 18/08/2025

Respondent: Cheshire West Voluntary Action

I&O_7470
Ensure adequate community open space (policy OS 1) - Lower thresholds for on-site provision. In many rural developments the current “major” threshold is rarely met, leading to a reliance on off-site contributions. The threshold for requiring on-site community open space should be reduced for Key and Local Service Centres. - Support shared “community hub” models. We encourage flexible designs that co-locate a village hall, play area and health outreach services on a single parcel of land—an efficient use of space that fosters multi-generational interaction.

Comment

Representation ID: 7004

Received: 18/08/2025

Respondent: Cheshire West Voluntary Action

I&O_7472
Recognise community infrastructure as essential (policy STRAT 11 and Infrastructure & Developer Contributions) - Elevate community halls and centres to “priority infrastructure”. The policy should list village halls, youth and adult learning centres, volunteer hubs and social-enterprise spaces alongside schools and transport as priority items. - Introduce a phased delivery schedule. On large sites, community buildings should open by the occupation of the first 50 % of dwellings so that new residents have immediate access to communal space.

Comment

Representation ID: 7005

Received: 18/08/2025

Respondent: Cheshire West Voluntary Action

I&O_7473
Embed social value in viability assessments (policy ID 1 – Viability) Evidence shows that early investment in community facilities improves cohesion and wellbeing and ultimately reduces pressure on health and policing services1. Viability re-negotiations should therefore apply a social-value weighting, ensuring that community facilities rank immediately after affordable housing when trade-offs are considered.

Comment

Representation ID: 7006

Received: 18/08/2025

Respondent: Cheshire West Voluntary Action

I&O_7474
Demonstrate climate leadership through community buildings (Design & Net-Zero) Community buildings are ideal demonstrators for net-zero retrofit and low-carbon technologies. The Local Plan should therefore: - Support new or refurbished community buildings that achieve high energy-efficiency standards. - Integrate electric-vehicle charge points and high-speed broadband infrastructure as part of a future-ready hub.

Comment

Representation ID: 7007

Received: 18/08/2025

Respondent: Cheshire West Voluntary Action

I&O_7475
Regardless of which spatial option is chosen, the Local Plan should be underpinned by a borough-wide Community Asset Audit to map gaps and over-provision before allocating growth. If Green Belt release (Option B) or new settlements along sustainable transport corridors (Option C) are pursued, on-site community buildings must be mandated so that loss of open land is offset by new social value. New settlements along transport corridors must include rail-adjacent community hubs that are secure, visible and accessible on foot or bicycle.

Comment

Representation ID: 7008

Received: 18/08/2025

Respondent: Cheshire West Voluntary Action

I&O_7476
We urge the Council to work with voluntary, community and faith organisations from plan-making through to site build-out to co-design delivery mechanisms and ensure that developer contributions, the Infrastructure Delivery Plan and Community Infrastructure Levy are harnessed for community benefit. Long-term maintenance and running costs should be considered from the outset so that assets remain viable after construction.