Willaston to create neighbourhood plan

Cheshire East Council has agreed to designate Willaston as a neighbourhood area, allowing the parish to prepare a neighbourhood plan with formal statutory powers to guide future development.

Willaston Parish Council will now progress with putting together the neighbourhood plan, which once completed will be adopted by Cheshire East Council and will form part of the development plan for the borough.

Willaston Parish Council, which covers a largely rural area with a population of 2,277 situated in the green gap between Crewe and Nantwich, applied for the designation in March.

The policies in the Willaston neighbourhood plan will be used for decision making purposes when planning applications are determined.

More than 20 neighbourhood plan areas have been designated in Cheshire East. Two more have lodged applications for designation and 30 more parishes have expressed an interest.

Cllr Michael Jones, leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “Neighbourhood plans enable residents to develop policies to address those planning matters that affect their interests and well-being.

“They allow communities to take ownership of planning policy which directly affects their lives. Neighbourhood plans are a key part of putting residents first, one of the Council’s most important priorities, and we fully support communities in putting them in place.”