Cheshire East Local Plan examination suspended

The examination of the Cheshire East Local Plan is being suspended from Friday, 3rd October, to enable the Inspector to read the large number of representations made regarding the strategic sites and locations.

Kerry Trueman, Cheshire East Local Plan Programme Officer, confirmed “The hearings have been deferred because of the need to consider and digest the unexpected volume of statements and further evidence submitted for Matters 14 and 15*. The Council fully agrees with this approach.”

The hearing sessions started on Tuesday September 16th and are scheduled to continue for a further three weeks.

The Planning Inspector, Stephen Pratt has suggested the examination is adjourned and commences on 20th October for two weeks with Week 6 likely to start on November 24th, as he is unavailable earlier in the month.

The Inspector is currently considering the Council’s suggestion that the hearings are adjourned until the week commencing 24th November, then continue for the next three weeks, due to the non-availablty of key Council personnel. Also to allow them a reasonable period to prepare the Council’s written responses to hearing statements submitted in respect of Matter 14.

A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said “The Council has sought to balance the important priority of concluding the hearing sessions as soon as practicable and, in any event, before the end of the year against the public interest of ensuring that the Inspector and all parties appearing at the examination hearing have an adequate opportunity to address the significant volume of material latterly submitted and are not unduly prejudiced. As before, the Council recognises that the Inspector has limited availability during November, which may require the Week 6 hearing sessions to be rescheduled in early December.”