Local Plan Issues and Options (Regulation 18)

Comment

Representation ID: 15101

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: StanleyRed Developments Ltd

Agent: AshtonHale

I&O_15660
StanleyRed are supportive of the concept of shorter local plan periods which ensure that policies and supporting evidence within Development Plans are kept up-todate and remain relevant. Policies in the plan should reflect current and short-term future growth in the area in order to better guide and inform planning proposals and planning decisions. A shorter plan period will allow for more frequent reviews and updates, ensuring that the policies and data reflect the changing economic, environmental and social positions of the borough. By creating shorter plan period, the new Local Plan will further align with the Government’s intentions at reducing local plan review periods. Under regulation 10A of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended) local planning authorities must review local plans at least once every 5 years from their adoption date to ensure that policies remain relevant and effectively address the needs of the local community. Most plans are likely to require updating in whole or in part at least every 5 years1. A shorter plan period will allow for more realistic targets to be set within the document, ensuring more accurate monitoring in the progress and success of the Local Plan policies.

Comment

Representation ID: 15102

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: StanleyRed Developments Ltd

Agent: AshtonHale

I&O_15661
StanleyRed recognises that to achieve sustainable visions of the Local Plan, spatial strategies must be established, such as the strategic identification of Frodsham to meet development needs. StanleyRed supports the inclusion of Frodsham within the spatial strategy, as it represents a strategically important area for both new development and regeneration. In addition to the identification of key locations within the strategy, the Local Plan must also recognise areas outside of the locations identified which will be capable of delivering housing development. Areas located adjacent to the settlements identified, yet within sustainable locations, can be utilised to reduce spatial pressures of these areas.

Comment

Representation ID: 15103

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: StanleyRed Developments Ltd

Agent: AshtonHale

I&O_15662
The vision of the Local Plan should include a set of principles and priorities to allow for sustainable development to be established. CGV broadly supports the draft visions as set out in section VI 1 ‘Visions’ and welcomes the scope of the principles identified. However, it is considered by CGV that additional principles should be included within the vision to allow for Cheshire West and Chester to be a desirable and attractive place to live, work and visit, and to allow for future policies to accurately address these visions. CGV put forward the following principles to be considered at the next stage of the Local Plan process: Delivering Sustainable Growth: Ensure development is distributed appropriately across housing and employment land to meet the needs of communities and businesses, while delivering positive social outcomes and addressing environmental sustainability. Creating a Prosperous Economy: Grow economically but sustainably, recognising our key employment sectors. Allow people and places to prosper by supporting the creation of high-quality jobs, attracting new businesses, retaining and enhancing existing businesses, supporting opportunities to improve training and education and to retain skills and talent, and so providing an adaptable and prosperous economy. Meeting a Specific Housing Need: Meet identified housing needs by delivering a mix of affordable, high-quality, and energy-efficient homes, tailored to support diverse households and changing demographic demands. Given CWaC’s established housing need (1,914 homes annually, a 259.8% increase from previous targets), the Local Plan must prioritise the delivery of diverse, affordable and high-quality homes. This includes recognising that sustainable residential development on well-located Green Belt sites may be essential to address the borough’s housing emergency and contribute to national housing supply targets.  Ensuring that current and future housing and employment needs are met is a crucial objective and accords with Paragraphs 61 and 85 of the NPPF which seek to ‘’boost the supply of homes’’ in accordance with the Government’s objectives and help to create conditions for economic growth and productivity. 

Comment

Representation ID: 15104

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: StanleyRed Developments Ltd

Agent: AshtonHale

I&O_15663
Providing established visions for major settlements such as Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich, Winsford, Frodsham, and Neston/Parkgate allows the plan to reflect the distinct identities, opportunities, and challenges each area faces. This approach helps ensure that future development is not only sustainable and aligned with borough-wide principles but also grounded in the specific context of each place.

Comment

Representation ID: 15105

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: StanleyRed Developments Ltd

Agent: AshtonHale

I&O_15664
The Council is required to plan for at least 1,914 new homes per year, as identified by the Government’s Standard Method for assessing local housing need. Paragraph 62 of the NPPF is clear that this figure must be treated as a minimum, informed by robust assessment, and should not be planned for at anything less. In practice, this represents a baseline that the Council must achieve, with scope to exceed it were justified by evidence of demand or opportunity. Given the scale of this requirement, it is unlikely that the borough’s housing needs can be met solely within existing Local Plan settlements or through brownfield land supply. In these circumstances, the Council must look to bring forward sustainable Green Belt sites to ensure delivery. Sites such as Land at Saltworks Farm are particularly well placed to support this objective. The site is accessible, unconstrained, and located adjacent to existing services and infrastructure. Paragraph 73 of the NPPF further requires that local planning authorities identify a supply of deliverable sites sufficient to provide at least five years’ worth of housing, with an additional buffer to ensure choice and competition. Selective Green Belt release in sustainable locations provides the most realistic way to maintain this supply and deliver a resilient, responsive housing strategy for Cheshire West and Chester. Land at Saltworks Farm offers a logical and justified opportunity for Green Belt release, closely related to Frodsham and existing service provisions, public transport links, and proximity to centres of employment and amenities.

Comment

Representation ID: 15106

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: StanleyRed Developments Ltd

Agent: AshtonHale

I&O_15665
StanleyRed does not support the introduction of a stepped housing requirement within the emerging Local Plan, as this would risk suppressing housing delivery in the short term and failing to meet immediate needs. To align with the Government’s growth agenda and in accordance with Paragraph 61 of the NPPF, the Council must recognise the urgency of delivering new homes from the very start of the plan period. A consistent housing trajectory should therefore be pursued from the outset. This would justify the early release of sustainable and deliverable Green Belt sites, such as Land at Saltworks Farm. Bringing forward such strategic sites early in the plan period would not only secure housing delivery but also stimulate economic growth, fully supporting the Council’s long-term objectives for sustainable development.

Comment

Representation ID: 15107

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: StanleyRed Developments Ltd

Agent: AshtonHale

I&O_15666
StanleyRed broadly support the policy approach towards the spatial strategy principles, especially the recognition that where there are not enough planning permissions and opportunities for redevelopment within urban areas and towns, the approach will be to develop 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. Depending on the settlement, this may require the release of Green Belt land. The land at Saltworks Farm represents a prime example of how the release of Green Belt land within the Local Plan process can help achieve development in sustainable locations, with best access to services and facilities. If the site were to come forward for residential development, the site is located within a sustainable and attractive location to meet needs of future residents. The site represents a highly sustainable, accessible, and logical option for Green Belt release that could contribute to the strategic requirements for Cheshire West and Chester.

Comment

Representation ID: 15108

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: StanleyRed Developments Ltd

Agent: AshtonHale

I&O_15667
StanleyRed generally agrees with the approach taken within the outlines Settlement Hierarchy, in that development should be centred in areas with strong local infrastructure and services, such as locations identified within the consultation document i.e. Frodsham. Frodsham is described as a ‘market town’ and provides local infrastructure and services for its population. However, StanleyRed stress that reliance solely on the settlements listed within SS 4 is unlikely to address the identified housing need. To enable the annual delivery of 1,914 new homes across CWaC, the Council should consider the release of Green Belt land in proximity to existing settlements and areas of development, where sites can be served by existing infrastructure provisions and services.

Comment

Representation ID: 15109

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: StanleyRed Developments Ltd

Agent: AshtonHale

I&O_15668
Since the adoption of Cheshire West and Chester’s Local Plan (Part One) in January 2015, a number of circumstantial changes have occurred which now justify Green Belt release across the borough as part of an evidence-based spatial strategy. Firstly, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published in December 2024 provides clearer direction on the potential for local authorities to review Green Belt boundaries where fully evidenced and justified, particularly in the context of strategic planning and housing delivery. The Government’s reaffirmed ambition to deliver 300,000 homes per year at a national level, alongside changes to the standard method for calculating local housing need has placed greater pressure on local authorities to plan positively and realistically for future growth. Meeting this requirement will be extremely difficult without a strategic review of constrained land designations, including parts of the Green Belt that may no longer serve their original planning purpose. Cheshire West and Chester Council are expected to experience a significant uplift in their local housing delivery needs; since the introduction of the new standard method, Cheshire West and Chester Council will be required to deliver 1,914 homes annually- an increase from 532 homes annually under the previous standard method (259.8% increase). In light of these evolving factors, it is appropriate for the Council to revisit the Green Belt strategy established under the previous Local Plan. 

Comment

Representation ID: 15110

Received: 29/08/2025

Respondent: StanleyRed Developments Ltd

Agent: AshtonHale

I&O_15669
Yes, there are several key considerations that should inform the future approach to Green Belt policy within the new Local Plan to ensure it remains fit for purpose and responsive to changing national and local circumstances. The introduction of the ‘grey belt’ concept in the December 2024 NPPF highlights the need for a more refined approach to Green Belt review. This concept recognises land within the Green Belt that is previously developed or makes only a limited contribution to Green Belt purposes and is therefore more suitable for development without undermining the overall function of the designation. Cheshire West and Chester Council now has a clear opportunity to review parcels of land, particularly those adjacent to sustainable settlements such as Frodsham, that are underutilised, visually compromised, or functionally disconnected from the wider Green Belt. Grey belt land is defined within the NPPF as; land in the Green Belt comprising previously developed land and/or any other land that, in either case, does not strongly contribute to any of purposes (a), (b), or (d) in paragraph 143. ‘Grey belt’ excludes land where the application of the policies relating to the areas or assets in footnote 7 (other than Green Belt) would provide a strong reason for refusing or restricting development. It is our opinion that the StanleyRed’s land constitutes as grey belt land in accordance with the definition provided within the NPPF. The Site does not actively contribute to purposes ‘a’, ‘b’, or ‘d’ defined within Paragraph 143 of the NPPF as set out in Chapter 2 and reiterated below. a) The Site itself is located adjacent to the existing settlement boundary of Frodsham and is a contained Site forming part of a large-built up area. The Site is bounded and constrained by built form to the east, south and further west, and bound by the M56 motorway to the north. There are permanent and defensible field boundaries surrounding the Site which would prevent any sprawl. To the north of the site lies land associated with Frodsham Wind Farm. b) the Site would form a natural extension to the settlement boundary of Frodsham and would not result in the merging with nearby settlements.  d) Frodsham is not designated as a historic town, therefore the release of the site from the Green Belt would not impact on this purpose. While not previously developed, the site is functionally contained, influenced by major infrastructure, and contributes little to the Green Belt’s strategic role. Given the scale of the borough’s housing need, its release would be consistent with the grey belt provisions of the NPPF. The Council should assess the quality, character, and function of individual Green Belt parcels, rather than treating the designation as a blanket constraint. Land that  is previously developed, underused, or visually and functionally disconnected from the wider Green Belt may no longer contribute meaningfully to its core purposes and could be released without causing significant harm. This would allow for more strategic and sustainable growth, particularly adjacent to key service centres like Northwich, where infrastructure and transport links already exist.  Some areas of Green Belt have been overtaken by edge-of-settlement development or are no longer serving their intended role and may be better suited to development than to long-term protection. Overall, the site makes a weak contribution to the purposes of the Green Belt and therefore would be a suitable site for release from the Green Belt to assist in meeting the development requirements of Cheshire West and Chester. Additionally, the Green Belt should be considered in the context of housing delivery pressures. The Council will be required to meet its housing need, calculated via the standard method2, that cannot be met solely within existing urban boundaries. If sustainable options are exhausted within non-Green Belt locations, the plan must be prepared to justify selective Green Belt release as a means of delivering the spatial strategy.