Shaping Congleton's Future
Strategic Sustainability Policy
Policy 1 – Congleton for Everyone Now and in the Future.
Congleton For Everyone Now and in the Future.
Where planning permission is required, development of all scales will be expected to contribute positively to the quality of life offered by the town, to its unique character and to its adaptation to climate change through the promotion of sustainable contextually responsive inclusive development. All schemes will be required to meet the following criteria where applicable:
Resilience to climate change through careful use of low and zero-carbon technologies, including on-site energy production, prioritising the use of locally sourced materials, ensuring high energy and water efficiency, reducing reliance on the private car and futureproofing the town’s public spaces from the effects of extreme weather, improving sun, wind and rain tolerance.
Clustering of uses should be carefully considered to encourage sustainable transport modes and reinforce the vitality and vibrancy of place.
Pedestrian, public transport and active travel links into Congleton Town Centre should be protected, enhanced and created where possible.
Promote good urban design that functions well and enhances the experience and opportunities of end users, with a particular focus on creating socially inclusive communities that integrate well with existing communities.
Protects or enhances Congleton’s special landscape character, setting and the green infrastructure that inhabits the town.
Promote design that contributes to the character of Congleton as a town and the character areas across the town.
Encourages a sufficient mix of housing types and tenures to serve the needs of new and future residents, including those who require supported or assisted accommodation.
Ensuring new homes, workplaces and facilities function well for all users with a special focus on the needs of the very old, the very young and people with a disability.
JUSTIFICATION
The neighbourhood plan seeks to build on the work that is already being undertaken by the Town Council and other stakeholders by providing a framework for the implementation of the ideas, principles and collective vision that is shared by residents. When reviewing planning applications, the Town Council will assess proposals against their Planning Checklist which encourages consideration of sustainability and inclusivity in decision making.
This strategic policy incorporates all the key issues and topics that were raised by residents throughout previous rounds of consultation on the neighbourhood plan and reflects the overall focus of the plan as a whole.
Congleton is a historic and vibrant market town, that services a significant rural hinterland of small villages, hamlets and parishes. In this respect, this policy, which should be treated as a strategic policy in decision-making, sits alongside the policies in the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy which was adopted in 2017.
Cheshire East Borough Council developed a series of town strategies in 2012 as part of the early evidence base for the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy 2017 and this policy uses this as a starting point, although bringing it in line with more modern policy contexts.
The policy sets out, by way of a series of criteria, the form and function that development should take, promoting sustainable and climate-resilient growth – essentially a shared vision for the area (see paragraph 29 of the NPPF). The policy covers all the types and forms of development that might come forward, however big or small, as all of these in some way can contribute to creating a vibrant and sustainable town centre. Even small-scale householder extensions or changes of use can contribute in a small way. This approach to policy direction reflects guidance in national policy where neighbourhood plans offer localised interpretation of strategic policies.
Evidence Base
- Congleton Town Strategy – Cheshire East Council 2012
- Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy (CELPS) – July 2017
- Congleton Estate Agents Survey Report – Congleton Town Council (September 2016)
- Congleton Landscape Character Assessment (Part 1) – Ruth Benson Landscape Planning (March 2020)
- Congleton Landscape Character Assessment (Part 2) – Ruth Benson Landscape Planning (March 2020)
- Congleton Landscape Character Assessment (Part 3) – Ruth Benson Landscape Planning (March 2020)
- Congleton Town Council Business Plan 2020 – 2023 – Published 2020
- Congleton Town Centre Vitality Plan – Cushman and Wakefield December 2022
- The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2023 – paragraphs 13, 21 and 29
- Congleton Design Guide prepared by Locality / AECOM – dated March 2023
Phone
(01260) 270350
Address
Congleton Town Council, Town Hall, High Street, Congleton, CW12 1BN