Green Belt Development – What’s Really Going On?
By David Jefferay, Residents of Wilmslow (RoW) Councillor
Hi Folks,
I know many of you are deeply concerned — and rightly so — about the increase in planning applications for development on Green Belt land in and around Wilmslow. Like you, I (and my colleagues at RoW) care deeply about protecting our green spaces and the character of our town. Unfortunately, recent national policy changes have made it significantly harder for Cheshire East (and councils across the country) to resist these kinds of applications.
Here’s what’s happening, and why:
National Housing Targets Have Increased
The new government has introduced an uplift in housing requirements and introduced the concept of “Grey Belt”, increasing the number of homes councils are expected to plan for.
This has a direct impact on our local planning framework, because the higher targets mean Cheshire East has to demonstrate that we have enough land available to meet projected housing needs for the next five years.
Our Five-Year Land Supply Has Been Undermined
Local planning authorities are required by national policy to maintain a rolling five-year housing land supply. If that supply falls below the threshold (as it now has due to the uplift in the government’s housing targets), we lose much of our ability to refuse speculative applications — even those on Green Belt land.
Developers know this. They are using the current situation to bring forward applications they wouldn’t have stood a chance with previously. And unless there are “material planning grounds” to refuse them, planning inspectors are likely to approve them at appeal.
What Can Cheshire East Do?
In short — very little, until the five-year land supply can be restored. The council can (and does) object to inappropriate applications. We still fight to uphold the principles of the Local Plan and protect valued spaces. But national policy now carries more weight, and unless government changes the rules, our hands are largely tied. This is not, as many people like to say, a case of brown envelopes or the council wanting the council tax; the council would actually love to refuse these applications because it is unplanned development, and councils really do not like unplanned development !
The council has begun development of a new local plan which will define where development should be but this is a lengthy and complicated, legal process (and the new government have not even stated what the new-style plans should look like or contain yet) so it will be several years until the new plan is in place. We are therefore in a position where there will inevitably be some large developments being built, where and when we don’t want them.
What Are We Doing About It?
As your councillors, we are:
- Raising your concerns directly within Cheshire East and in planning committees.
- Pushing back against overdevelopment wherever there’s a strong case to do so and trying to identify reasons for refusal on these applications.
- Working with other councillors across parties and residents’ groups to call for urgent reform of the housing target system to give power back to local communities.
- Pushing for an up to date audit of brown field sites on which development could be prioritised in Wilmslow and Cheshire East.
- Trying to keep you informed about what is going on and why.
What Can You Do?
- Stay engaged and object to applications you believe are inappropriate. Strength of feeling is good but try to cite policies and “material planning grounds” in your objections – RoW is happy to help with that if you need help.
- Write to your MP, asking her to support reform of national planning rules.
- Join or support local neighbourhood forums and resident associations, which strengthen the case for local decision-making. Some are employing planning experts to help review these speculative applications.
I understand how frustrating and upsetting this is. Like you, I want to see genuinely affordable homes in the right places, not profit-driven developments on previously protected land. But until the government re-thinks its housing policy, councils like Cheshire East are being forced into an impossible position.
Thank you for your continued vigilance and support. We’ll keep fighting for Wilmslow — and for local voices to be heard.
King regards,
David Jefferay
Residents of Wilmslow Councillor