CWaC Local Plan and Neighbourhood Planning update: what communities need to know

Cheshire West and Chester Council has provided an important update on its new Local Plan and neighbourhood planning for parish and town councils, Neighbourhood Plan groups and local communities.

Following the Issues and Options consultation held in 2025, the Council has now decided to prepare the new Local Plan under the Government’s new national plan-making system, introduced in March 2026. This means that the previous consultation work is not wasted — the feedback received has already helped to identify key issues, improve the evidence base and highlight where further technical work is needed — but the Council must now follow a new formal process and timetable.

This matters for parish and town councils, community buildings, voluntary organisations and public sector partners because the Local Plan will help shape where future homes, employment sites, infrastructure, open spaces, community facilities and environmental protections are planned across the borough.

Why should communities take notice?

The Local Plan is one of the most important documents affecting the future of local places. It will guide planning decisions and set the strategic framework for development across Cheshire West and Chester up to 2043.

For local communities, this could affect issues such as:

• where future housing and employment development may be located;
• how rural settlements and key service centres may change;
• what infrastructure is needed to support growth;
• how community facilities, village halls and local services are protected and planned for;
• affordable housing and housing for older people or those with specialist needs;
• access to green space, active travel, public transport and local services;
• climate resilience, landscape, biodiversity and the historic environment.

For parish councils and community organisations, this is a key moment to gather local evidence and think about what your community needs over the next 15–20 years.

Indicative housing figures for some Neighbourhood Plan areas

CWaC has also confirmed that changes to national planning policy and the Government’s standard method for calculating housing need are having a major impact locally. The Council can no longer demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing land, raising concerns in some communities about the risk of further unplanned development.

To help with this, CWaC can now provide indicative housing figures for Neighbourhood Plan areas in Key Service Centres and Local Service Centres. These figures are not the final housing requirements for the new Local Plan, but they should provide a useful working basis for communities preparing or reviewing Neighbourhood Plans.

The Council is not proposing to provide indicative figures for urban areas within Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich or Winsford, or for other smaller rural settlements.

Neighbourhood Plan groups that would like an indicative housing figure for their area can contact:

neighbourhoodplanning@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

Climate and nature are now even more important

Recent legal changes also mean Neighbourhood Plans now need to give greater consideration to climate change and nature recovery.

Where appropriate, Neighbourhood Plans should now help ensure that development contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation and takes account of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

This means Neighbourhood Plans may need to think more clearly about issues such as biodiversity, green infrastructure, flood risk, trees, habitats, active travel, renewable energy and community resilience.

What should communities do now?

CCA would encourage parish councils, community building committees, Neighbourhood Plan groups and local voluntary organisations to start preparing early.

Useful questions to consider include:

• What development pressures is your community experiencing?
• Are local facilities, halls, open spaces, roads, schools, health services or public transport under pressure?
• Are there gaps in affordable housing, specialist housing or downsizing options?
• Are there important community assets, green spaces or local services that need to be protected?
• Are there opportunities for community-led development, renewable energy, nature recovery or better walking and cycling links?
• Does your Neighbourhood Plan need to be reviewed in light of the new Local Plan timetable, updated housing figures or climate and nature requirements?

Key Local Plan dates

The new Local Plan timetable includes:

• 7–28 September 2026 – Local Plan scoping consultation
• 23 November 2026–8 January 2027 – consultation on proposed Local Plan content and evidence
• 1 October–1 December 2027 – consultation on the full proposed Local Plan
• 1 May 2028 – submission for examination
• 1 December 2028 – anticipated adoption

These dates may change, but they give communities a useful indication of when formal engagement opportunities are expected.

CCA’s role

Cheshire Community Action will continue to monitor the Local Plan process and has previously submitted evidence on rural housing community infrastructure needs in its response to the August 2025 options and issues consultation.

We are particularly interested in ensuring that rural communities, parish councils, community buildings, voluntary organisations and local residents have meaningful opportunities to influence future planning decisions.

Growth and development need to be supported by the right infrastructure, services, affordable housing, community facilities and local evidence. For communities with an existing or emerging Neighbourhood Plan, now is a good time to review whether your evidence is up to date and whether your plan reflects current housing, climate and nature priorities.

Further information is available through CWaC’s Neighbourhood Planning and New Local Plan webpages and the summary of responses to the 2025 Issues and Options consultation.

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