Director of planning wanted in Cheshire East
In a bid to mitigate any possibility of the ‘new town’ proposal of Adlington, the council has opted to recruit a dedicated director of planning to lead the development of a new local plan.
Cheshire East councillors voted overwhelming in favour of creating the post and to commence the recruitment process during the council meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The role will be for two years and would have an annual salary of up to £119,000.
The focus of the job will be on the local plan, with the council due to begin the process of creating a new one next month. Creating the local plan will need to be done in 30 months to comply with Whitehall guidelines. This is, according to a Cheshire East officer report, “extremely squeezed in terms of delivery expectations”.
Getting a new local plan is of great importance to Cheshire East, which is currently without a five-year housing land supply after housing target changes led to the requirement for the area going from 977 homes to 1,800. That has left the council with just a 3.8-year housing land supply.
Without a five-year supply, new housing projects receive greater weight in the planning process. This can mean that homes on Green Belt, or Grey Belt, are approved either by the council or at appeal that otherwise would not have been permitted.
Then there is Adlington, the proposed 20,000-home project on 2,400 acres of greenfield owned by investor Belport. While not an official part of the government’s new towns programme, it was described as a credible development opportunity by Whitehall, which hinted that such a project could still earn some support.
Adlington has received stark opposition from Cheshire East Council and several residents, with the local authority even writing to government to formally oppose the plan.
The Cheshire East Council officer report for Wednesday said that the threat of Adlington, and other projects like it, was a reason for creating the post.
It reads: “In light of recent events in Cheshire East, most notably the government’s new towns programme and the pressures arising on Adlington, it is important that the council is able to present a confident and credible approach to meeting its mandatory housing targets over the medium and long term, and to regain control by producing a local plan that brings a bold and ambitious vision, narrative, and approach for the future and quality of life within the area, including issues of affordable housing and economic growth, for both existing and future residents and communities.
“Having such a plan immediately refutes speculative proposals such as Adlington as a new town, because alternative planned opportunities exist to meet housing and need and growth.”
The director of planning post would also free up the remit of the director of planning and environment, allowing them to focus on the other aspects of their role: environmental services, waste, leisure, highways, and neighbourhoods.
The job description for director of planning would include the following responsibilities, as per the report:
- overseeing the development and delivery of the new local plan
- negotiating and shaping the spatial development strategy by working closely with the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority and the other constituent member authorities
- responding to the immediate pressures within the Cheshire East planning system, bringing greater confidence to all of its stakeholders and government.
According to the council’s own officers, recruiting a director of planning is “a significant first step to bring greater stability and confidence into the system.”
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By Anonymous
Seems a bit odd for the role to only be for 24 months when it will take 30 months to prepare the Local Plan (which is itself far far shorter than most Local Plans seem to take)
By Anonymous
@Anonymous (May 14, 2026 at 10:47 am)
Yes, I thought the 24 month part was a little odd – I suspect that’s an initial 24 months that will be extended if targets up to that point are met. The 30 month plan preparation period is defined in the new-style plan making process – it ignores the initial preparatory stages prior to the first stage of consultation though, so there’s a risk of some councils never getting as far as day 1 of month 1 (although I guess they’ll get stern letters from the government if they don’t).
By Anonymous
Will this appointment be able to address the dreadful, no, disgraceful approach to Development Control within CEC,,,? Every obstacle possible placed in the way of granting Consent on entire valid Applications. Costing Applicants thousands and thousand of pounds while the Authority ponders how to avoid granting Consents.
By Victim of Cheshire East Planning
Is the 30 months linked to the new CA that , depending on the agreement with government, will have strategic planning powers?
By Frank
We need someone who will build strategically only when infrastructure is in place. Someone who will enforce enforcement. We have to be in control of our development projects.
By Anonymous
When you say opposition from “several” residents, do you mean the 19,000 who signed the petition against Adlington New Town? Poor choice of language!
By Jon Weston