Local Plan Issues and Options (Regulation 18)

Comment

Representation ID: 15089

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Persimmon Homes

Agent: Asteer Planning

I&O_15648
Persimmon fully supports 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 or 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. Persimmon does 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: 15090

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Persimmon Homes

Agent: Asteer Planning

I&O_15649
Persimmon does 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 Fullerton Road - ensuring that CWaC boosts delivery in the early part of the Plan Period.

Comment

Representation ID: 15091

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Persimmon Homes

Agent: Asteer Planning

I&O_15650
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. Persimmon supports 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. Land at Fullerton Road would support this policy approach, located on the edge of the existing Main Town of Northwich, and offering a sustainable option for a modest urban extension to the settlement with existing access to services and facilities, including a train station within walking distance.

Comment

Representation ID: 15092

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Persimmon Homes

Agent: Asteer Planning

I&O_15651
The Policy Approach to SS 4 ‘Settlement Hierarchy’ designates Northwich as a ‘Main Town’ (Tier 2) which is underneath only Chester as a ‘City’ in the hierarchy. Policy Approach SS 4 outlines that an individual place-based policy for each settlement will set out the vision, core features, key issues and a clear strategy for what development will take place in each settlement. Persimmon fully supports the designation of Northwich as a Main Town and the policy approach to having an individual policy for Northwich to enable a strategy for sustainable growth in the settlement to be considered. As a Main Town in the Borough, it is considered that Northwich should accommodate a level of development and growth that reflects is scale, location and sustainability, which should be reflected in the spatial strategy and land allocations in the emerging Local Plan. 

Comment

Representation ID: 15093

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Persimmon Homes

Agent: Asteer Planning

I&O_15652
The Policy Approach to SS 5 sets out the potential growth options that have been identified by CWaC, which are categorised into the three spatial strategies as set out in Question SS 11 (above). The potential growth locations for each settlement are set out to indicate the possible pattern of development where growth might take place. The site sits between potential growth location, reference ‘NOR9’, and the current settlement boundary of Northwich (as illustrated in Figure 2 - see attachment). 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”. Persimmon welcome this recognition and consider that as a first priority, CWaC should prioritise making the most effective use of land by allocating infill sites such as the site at Fullerton Road, which are currently underutilised and form a natural extension to the existing settlement boundary. Persimmon fully supports a significant level of growth in Northwich, which is on of CWaC’s top tier settlements.

Comment

Representation ID: 15094

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Persimmon Homes

Agent: Asteer Planning

I&O_15653
Persimmon consider that the site could be included as part of potential growth location NOR09, in the case that this is pursued within the chosen spatial strategy. The exclusion of the site from NOR09 would create an isolated wedge of open countryside land, which forms no functional purpose as ‘open countryside’, wedged between the existing settlement boundary and proposed residential growth. Notwithstanding this and under any growth option, land at Fullerton Road should be identified as a suitable and deliverable infill site that does not contribute to the wider open countryside setting; and which would form a natural and logical extension to recent successful residential developments at Albermarle Avenue (Redrow Hartford) and Fullerton Road (developed by Persimmon). The settlement of Northwich also has a range of major physical and policy constraints along its settlement edges (as illustrated in the Constraints Map of Northwich at Figure 8.1 of the Issues and Options Consultation, included as Figure 3 below). These include the Green Belt which bounds the settlement to the north, Areas of Special County Value (“ASCV”) to the northeast and south of Northwich and key settlement gaps, particularly around the south of the settlement. These constraints bolster the importance of makingthe most use of vacant, underutilised infill sites which could deliver much-needed housing with a very limited impact on the settlement boundary or any of the major identified physical and policy constraints. 

Comment

Representation ID: 15095

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Persimmon Homes

Agent: Asteer Planning

I&O_15654
Persimmon consider that the site could be included as part of potential growth location NOR09, in the case that this is pursued within the chosen spatial strategy. The exclusion of the site from NOR09 would create an isolated wedge of open countryside land, which forms no functional purpose as ‘open countryside’, wedged between the existing settlement boundary and proposed residential growth. Notwithstanding this and under any growth option, land at Fullerton Road should be identified as a suitable and deliverable infill site that does not contribute to the wider open countryside setting; and which would form a natural and logical extension to recent successful residential developments at Albermarle Avenue (Redrow Hartford) and Fullerton Road (developed by Persimmon). The settlement of Northwich also has a range of major physical and policy constraints along its settlement edges (as illustrated in the Constraints Map of Northwich at Figure 8.1 of the Issues and Options Consultation, included as Figure 3 below). These include the Green Belt which bounds the settlement to the north, Areas of Special County Value (“ASCV”) to the northeast and south of Northwich and key settlement gaps, particularly around the south of the settlement. These constraints bolster the importance of makingthe most use of vacant, underutilised infill sites which could deliver much-needed housing with a very limited impact on the settlement boundary or any of the major identified physical and policy constraints. 

Comment

Representation ID: 15097

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Persimmon Homes

Agent: Asteer Planning

I&O_15656
Persimmon consider that the site could be included as part of potential growth location NOR09, in the case that this is pursued within the chosen spatial strategy. The exclusion of the site from NOR09 would create an isolated wedge of open countryside land, which forms no functional purpose as ‘open countryside’, wedged between the existing settlement boundary and proposed residential growth. Notwithstanding this and under any growth option, land at Fullerton Road should be identified as a suitable and deliverable infill site that does not contribute to the wider open countryside setting; and which would form a natural and logical extension to recent successful residential developments at Albermarle Avenue (Redrow Hartford) and Fullerton Road (developed by Persimmon). The settlement of Northwich also has a range of major physical and policy constraints along its settlement edges (as illustrated in the Constraints Map of Northwich at Figure 8.1 of the Issues and Options Consultation, included as Figure 3 below). These include the Green Belt which bounds the settlement to the north, Areas of Special County Value (“ASCV”) to the northeast and south of Northwich and key settlement gaps, particularly around the south of the settlement. These constraints bolster the importance of makingthe most use of vacant, underutilised infill sites which could deliver much-needed housing with a very limited impact on the settlement boundary or any of the major identified physical and policy constraints. 

Comment

Representation ID: 15098

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Persimmon Homes

Agent: Asteer Planning

I&O_15657
The suggested Policy Approach NO 1 is to retain the overall policy content of the current Local Plan Part 1 Policy STRAT 5 and Part 2 Policy N1 which identify Northwich as a key focus for development in the east of the Borough. This will update the allocations, including any that have been completed or require a new approach, and any new locations for housing and employment development in Northwich. The approach also intends to reflect the objectives in the Northwich Town Centre Development Framework and Northwich Transport Strategy by recognising the town’s potential to reuse / redevelop vacant or redundant sites. Persimmon supports the suggested Policy Approach NO 1 in retaining the current policy approach which identifies Northwich as a key focus for development. The explanatory text recognises Northwich as the third largest urban area in the Borough, therefore it is considered important to direct a proportionate level of growth to the settlement which reflects its size and role within the Borough. Persimmon strongly consider that the site at Fullerton Road should be included within the Northwich Settlement Boundary as part of the Policy Approach NO 1, as a logical and suitable extension to the settlement that can assist in meeting the housing needs of the Borough in the early part of the Plan Period. This would align with a key ambition within the overall policy approach, to re-use / redevelop vacant or redundant sites. The site is an underutilised wedge of countryside land which adjoins the settlement boundary and is entirely enclosed by railway lines and existing residential development, that does not form part of the Green Belt further to the west.

Comment

Representation ID: 15099

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: Persimmon Homes

Agent: Asteer Planning

I&O_15658
The suggested Policy Approach to Green Belt and the countryside identifies the potential to add in other uses appropriate to the countryside. The explanatory text also identifies that there is an option to split the policy into separate policies regarding the countryside and Green Belt. Persimmon is 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.