Local Plan Issues and Options (Regulation 18)

Comment

Representation ID: 13488

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Chester South Alliance

I&O_14007
This submission has the endorsement of the following local community groups which are affiliated to Chester South Alliance. Friends of the Lache Backies (Supporting nature in Lache and Saltney) Stanley Park Drive Residents The Friends of the Lache Animal Sanctuary Friends of Lache Community Westminster Park Dog Walkers  Chester South Alliance is a constituted residents group focusing on Lache Ward and its neighbouring environs. We offer comment on development in CH1-4 with specific emphasis on Lache Ward. CH1-4. There are about 17 hectares of green space in Lache Ward where new homes could be built. The Backies………7.91 hectares Saltney Sidings…3.34 hectares The Lache Animal Sanctuary …..circa 5 hectares BUT, the case against building here is overwhelming. 1 We, do not have a lot of accessible green space in Lache. [see attached document for screenshot]  ( Source CWAC Ward Profiles 2022, online )  That’s CWAC                        83.1 square metres of green space per person England                     62.4 Lache                        JUST, 3.7 square metres of green space per person Our green spaces need a long term plan to make them fully accessible to residents. If this was done it would still only increase our accessible green space to a maximum of something in the region of 32 square metres per person which is around half of the NATIONAL AVERAGE and JUST 38% of the BOROUGH AVERAGE. 2 In Lache Ward about a third of residents are amongst the 2% poorest in the country, you are twice as likely to die of premature cancer and you are nearly twice as likely to die prematurely from respiratory and cardio- vascular illness (Cheshire West and Chester Council Ward Profiles 2022, online). There’s a lot of ill health in Lache Ward:  (CWAC Ward Profiles 2022, online).  [see attached document for screenshots]   Only 14% of Lache Ward residents are over 65 compared to 22% in Borough. This is not surprising with such high rates of premature deaths in the Ward. ‘ Green space provides social, health and economic benefits to an area. Local green space provides an important opportunity for people to exercise, socialise and experience the natural environment on a regular basis, which have all been to show to improve and enhance population health and well- being.’ (Cheshire West and Chester Council, Ward Profiles 2022, online). NHS England, Natural England, the Campaign for Rural England and Friends of the Earth and the Government’s own National Planning Policy Framework all recognise the direct correlation between deprivation, green space and poor physical and mental health.  The Campaign for Rural England, in particular, advocate against urban infill building in areas of deprivation, and please remember that in Lache Ward a third of the population is amongst the 2% most deprived (Index of Multiple Deprivation) in the COUNTRY. Access to a motor vehicle is low in Lache compared nationally, just 67% (Lache Masterplan 2022, online), so many people have to walk considerable distances to access the green space which is so vital for our wellbeing. We need more accessible green space in Lache Ward and not more housing. More housing = increased population=even less green space per square metre per person in an area where we currently have just 4.5 % of the Borough Average. Less green space = greater ill health and more deprivation and even greater inequalities. A long term plan for our green spaces could yield 32 square metres per person (still far below both the National and Borough Averages) but it would be a positive step to promoting increased wellness in a deprived area where your chances of surviving to an age of 65 are 35% lower than the Borough Average. Please do not take our green spaces for extra housing and impose even greater inequalities upon Lache Ward. The decision making process must take account of the bigger picture.