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Economic Development

Cheshire East calls for cut in housing target

The council says the borough needs 'plan-led development, not developer-led planning'

Housing targets have proved controversial in Cheshire East(Image: Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

Cheshire East is urging the government to lower its housing target, advocating for 'plan-led development, not developer-led planning'. The borough's target has surged by over 150%, from 997 to 2,471 dwellings annually, due to changes implemented by the Labour government.

At a full council meeting on Wednesday, members across all political parties unanimously supported a motion from Conservative group leader Stewart Gardiner to reduce this figure. An amendment proposed by council leader Nick Mannion (Lab) regarding environmental protection, an increased proportion of social housing, and key infrastructure delivery ahead of development was also approved.

Another proposal from Cllr Craig Browne (Alderley Edge, Ind) urging the council to lobby the LGA to adopt this issue as an official campaign was accepted. During the debate, residents Nick Cheetham and Sarah Bradley voiced their concerns.

Mr Cheetham stated: "The intent of this [rise] was to obviously increase the national housing supply, but also deal with those areas not pulling their weight.

"Cheshire East is not in this position."

Mrs Bradley highlighted that her town of Sandbach had nearly doubled in size recently, leading to overstretched services and congested roads. She noted that 217 new houses had been approved in the last six months and 840 applications for outline planning permission had been submitted.

She said: "To be absolutely clear, this is not about stopping new development, it's about making sure they are allocated fairly across all areas, in sustainable numbers, in the right places for people who need them the most.

All councillors recognised the necessity for housing but insisted it must be plan-led.