Local Plan Issues and Options (Regulation 18)

Comment

Representation ID: 11588

Received: 28/08/2025

Respondent: Landowners (Norley)

I&O_12086
The landowners fully support suggested Policy Approach SS 1, which seeks to meet the housing needs of the Borough as mandated by the Government’s Standard Method. In accordance with Government policy, Council’s must seek to, as a minimum, meet their local housing needs, informed using the Standard Method (including meeting the needs of neighbouring Authorities if appropriate); unless there are strong reasons why an Authority cannot do this. Paragraph 11 in the NPPF states that “For plan-making, this means that: b) strategic policies should, as a minimum, provide for objectively assessed needs for housing and other uses, as well as any needs that cannot be met within neighbouring areas, unless: i. the application of policies in this Framework that protect areas or assets of particular importance provides a strong reason for restricting the overall scale, type or distribution of development in the plan area; or ii. any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in this Framework taken as a whole. The landowners do not consider that there is any strong reason for restricting development in CWaC, nor would doing so outweigh the benefits of meeting the Borough’s identified housing needs. As such, CWaC should plan for 1,914 new homes per annum, as an absolute minimum (and subject to considering neighbouring Authorities needs as part of its Duty to Co-operate).

Comment

Representation ID: 11589

Received: 28/08/2025

Respondent: Landowners (Norley)

I&O_12087
The Landowners do not consider that a stepped housing requirement that plans for a lower level of housing delivery earlier in the Plan Period, is necessary. CWaC will already be significantly underdelivering on the Standard Method housing requirement in the interim period before the Local Plan is adopted and therefore should be proactive early in the Plan Period to rectify this and ensure that homes are delivered within the Borough to address existing housing needs and meet mandatory targets. Moreover, a ‘backloading’ of housing delivery presents a serious risk of the Local Plan not delivering its housing requirement throughout the Plan Period, where significant pressure will be placed on the later years of the period with no guarantee of delivery. The Council should identify clearly deliverable sites that will support the required delivery of housing early in the Plan Period – on deliverable infill sites such as Norley - ensuring that CWaC boosts delivery in the early part of the Plan Period.

Comment

Representation ID: 11590

Received: 28/08/2025

Respondent: Landowners (Norley)

I&O_12088
The suggested Policy Approach SS 3 outlines that the spatial strategy will follow the principle of directing new development towards previously developed sites within settlements first, and then consider urban extensions on the edge of existing settlements, in locations with the best access to public transport and existing services and infrastructure, as the next best sustainable option. The landowners support the suggested Policy Approach to SS 3 and emphasises that this policy approach should also give preference and priority to delivering a substantial level of the required growth in CWaC’s top tier settlements, including its Main Towns such as Northwich, which have the capacity, sites and existing infrastructure to deliver the level and type of sustainable growth required. However, this strategy principle must be accompanied by rural sites making a contribution towards the overall housing target through appropriate extensions to local service centres such as Norley.

Comment

Representation ID: 11591

Received: 28/08/2025

Respondent: Landowners (Norley)

I&O_12089
Whilst it is recognised that larger settlements will accommodate most of the growth, smaller settlements must make a contribution given the critical need for new homes. Spreading growth across all smaller settlements such as Norley is a sustainable option to protect and enhance local services. The landowners do not support the wording in this approach particularly where it seeks to restrict smaller settlements to accommodate “infill development and small previously developed sites”. It is clear that in the case of Norley that very few previously developed sites exist even since the 2016 Neighbourhood Plan prioritised such sites. Whilst part of this site is previously developed land, there is a need for further proportionate growth in Norley as long as existing services and infrastructure can cope. Critical to this is reviewing settlement boundaries and allocating sites such as this rather than shrink wrapping a settlement boundary and constraining growth. The settlement boundary to Norley must be reviewed and relaxed as it has not been reviewed for some time. If the significant and critical housing need for CWaC is to be delivered, smaller settlements such as Norley must be capable of making a proportionate contribution towards the overall target.

Comment

Representation ID: 11592

Received: 28/08/2025

Respondent: Landowners (Norley)

I&O_12090
The site at Norley is not identified as part of any of the potential growth locations. Within the growth options it is recognised that, ““a key difference between the Local Plan (Part One) and the new Local Plan is that there is a much more limited supply of previously developed land to accommodate new development, and unlike the last plan, larger areas of Green Belt and/or countryside are likely to be needed”. The landowner welcomes this recognition and considers that as a first priority, CWaC should prioritise making the most effective use of land by allocating infill sites and allowing rural settlements such as Norley to accommodate some of the housing need. Part of the land is currently underutilised and forms a natural extension to the existing settlement boundary so it is a logical area for growth. The preferred option therefore is none of the above and is a combination of Option B with distribution of housing growth across local service centres and settlements such as Norley. This will require not only a relaxation of rural settlement boundaries but a positive approach to allocating sites such as this in Norley. Given the sheer amount of growth required, all areas need to make a contribution not just large urban areas and urban extensions.

None of these

Comment

Representation ID: 11593

Received: 28/08/2025

Respondent: Landowners (Norley)

I&O_12091
The landowners are supportive of the approach to Green Belt and Countryside, or a separation of the policy, if it provides clarity on the policy differences between Green Belt and open countryside policy. It is recognised however that Green Belt sites will be required to meet the future housing needs and certain Green Belt sites which meet grey belt criteria, such as part of this land at Norley, may be a more sustainable option.

Comment

Representation ID: 11594

Received: 28/08/2025

Respondent: Landowners (Norley)

I&O_12092
The landowners support the suggested Policy Approach towards delivering affordable housing, as set out in ‘HO 2’, which sets out the requirement to provide affordable housing on all new developments that include the provision of new homes, unless there are exceptional circumstances. The delivery of available and achievable housing developments, such as this site in Norley, provide the most effective way to deliver affordable housing along with the delivery of a mix of housing types to meet local needs. The provision of greater quantities of market housing will also help to alleviate the constraints on supply, and in turn help to reduce the upward pressure on house prices.

Comment

Representation ID: 11595

Received: 28/08/2025

Respondent: Landowners (Norley)

I&O_12093
The supporting text to HO 1 states that a Housing Need Assessment is being prepared, which it is stated “will provide the basis for delivering the mix of homes required and requirement for affordable housing.” The landowner reserves the right to comment on the Housing Need Assessment at the appropriate time, particularly as it is noted that the Council intends for this assessment to provide the basis for new Local Plan policies relating to the mix of housing. Nevertheless, it is important that any prospective planning policy relating to housing mix allows for flexibility owing to this being dependent on site and market factors. Therefore, if the Council is intending to “provide detailed policy requirements e.g. % of 1-2 bed dwellings including by tenures; % of plots for self-build and custom housebuilding…” (as detailed in HO 1), these percentages should be labelled as ’indicative’. Furthermore, the future planning policy should acknowledge that the mix should be proportionate to the scale of the development proposed.

Comment

Representation ID: 11596

Received: 28/08/2025

Respondent: Landowners (Norley)

I&O_12094
The thresholds for affordable housing should be consistent with national planning policy. Therefore, in accordance with paragraph 65 of the NPPF (2024), the provision of affordable housing should not be sought for residential developments that are not major developments, other than in designated rural areas (where policies may set out a lower threshold of 5 units or fewer).

Comment

Representation ID: 11597

Received: 28/08/2025

Respondent: Landowners (Norley)

I&O_12095
The landowners note that the Council is currently preparing a borough-wide Design Code, setting out the design requirements for developments in Cheshire West, which it is intended will form part of the evidence base for the relevant policies relating to design and sustainable construction. The landowner reserves the right to comment on this document at the appropriate time. Care needs to be taken with the introduction of a Design Code as it can stifle creativity and viability if applied too rigorously.