Planning Applications

Macclesfield Town Council took the decision that it does not support the delivery of a Neighbourhood Development Plan for Macclesfield, with councillors having taken the time and opportunity to review information and advice regarding the local planning policy framework, the context of a neighbourhood plan in Macclesfield, its potential value and the expected resources required to develop and deliver a neighbourhood plan.

The Council took the view that local planning policy could be more effectively and efficiently enhanced and delivered by targeting specific planning policy areas and working with Cheshire East Council, the planning authority for Macclesfield.

The first area to be addressed is a Conservation Area Review, with Macclesfield Town Council seeking that Cheshire East Council carries out the review with the support and involvement of the town council and the town’s residents and businesses. The aim will be to progress this from March, with the protection of the town’s architectural heritage being the focus of the review.

Having in place a Local Plan that provides considerable detail on planning policy relating to Macclesfield as one of the principle towns in the borough, and noting that a neighbourhood plan would not be able to contradict an already adopted Local Plan, means that there is limited scope and space within a planning policy framework to add to locally-specific planning policy.

Macclesfield Town Council has maintained a position against building on the greenbelt and open green fields, however, the Local Plan has allocated development sites in the greenbelt, which a neighbourhood plan for Macclesfield could not overturn and return to greenbelt and therefore would not meet a significant aim of a neighbourhood plan of protecting sites from development. A neighbourhood plan would have to fit within and complement the already adopted local plan and could not create policies that are conflicting with the Local Plan.

As Macclesfield is mostly defined within the Cheshire East Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL, which is the developer contribution towards local infrastructure assets and investment) as nil rated for CIL, the value of any uplift in CIL income to the town council in relation to having a neighbourhood plan would be limited. Additionally, having a neighbourhood plan in place would not change the level of CIL contribution made by a developer to the planning authority and therefore acts as a nil effect on the public sector income related to local infrastructure.

Of the potential development sites within Macclesfield identified within the Local Plan and CIL policy  for CIL contributions, LPS14 (Fence Ave) has already been granted planning permission (which Macclesfield Town Council objected to) and will contribute zero CIL as it was granted permission with Section 106 agreement associated with the Kings School Development prior to the CIL policy being in place. LPS 18 (north of Chelford Road) has also been granted planning consent (which Macclesfield Town Council objected to), is mostly outside the town boundary and will therefore not be contributing to the CIL. LPS 16 (land south of Chelford Road) has also been granted planning consent (which Macclesfield Town Council objected to) and will therefore not attract CIL. No other development sites for Macclesfield in the Local Plan have been allocated any CIL contribution value.

Looking at the timescales to deliver a neighbourhood plan show that neighbourhood plans take between 3 and 5 years in general to complete depending on their complexity and scale of the town. It is reasonably expected that a neighbourhood plan for Macclesfield would take 4 to 5 years based on the size of the town, which is far greater than the vast majority of the neighbourhoods and villages that have so far taken forward a neighbourhood plan.

Additionally, it is expected that as well as the time resources required, a neighbourhood plan for Macclesfield would require significant involvement of consultants and specialists in planning and development, which would lead to a neighbourhood plan being costly over a protracted period of time.

In terms of a positive and more efficient use of resources, the Council will be progressing work alongside Cheshire East Council on planning policy seeking to address areas it can affect, such as building conservation; influencing the provision of housing for older people as well as affordable and social housing; sustainable development such as increased provision for electric vehicle charging points and greening of the public realm; and sustainable communities.