AFTER four years in the making, Middlewich has moved a step closer to adopting its first neighbourhood plan.

At a meeting on Monday night, town councillors voted to pass the plan onto Cheshire East Council for further consultation and examination.

Once that is completed, Middlewich residents will be given the chance to decide whether or not to adopt the plan – which is designed to shape development in the town until 2030 – in a referendum.

Cllr Simon McGrory, Middlewich First, said: “The towns and parishes that have adopted their neighbourhood plans are able to use them as a valuable tool for protection against certain planning applications, and for growth to be in the right areas.

“This is a significant tool that this town has never had before to protect itself. Now we are on the verge of getting some weight in planning applications that will enable us to do the right thing.”

The neighbourhood plan – which went out to consultation in August and September – sets out guidelines for where development should take place in Middlewich, the type of development that takes place and the infrastructure needed to support it.

It would be given weight by planning officers and councillors when making decisions on development in the town – meaning proposals that go against the wishes of residents as set out in the neighbourhood plan would be less likely to get the go-ahead.

In CEC’s local plan, Middlewich is earmarked for 1,950 new homes – but Cllr Bernice Walmsley, chairman of the Middlewich neighbourhood plan steering group, warned that the neighbourhood plan could not be used to restrict further development in town.

She added: “The 1,950 homes to meet Government requirements is a target, not a limit. It is not possible in the planning system to say we will not accept any more.”

Cllr Carol Bulman, Labour, raised concerns that the neighbourhood plan would not go far enough to stop the town’s infrastructure being overwhelmed by new development.

“We still haven’t had a shovel-full of tarmac laid for our bypass,” she said.

“I don’t want to be a fuddy-duddy and say we don’t want expansion, we want the town to be limited – that is not at all what I am saying.

“But the infrastructure isn’t there to support extra houses. That would be my worry.”

However, planning consultant Louise Kirkup – who worked with the steering group on Middlewich’s neighbourhood plan – insisted that the plan cannot be used to stop new development until the bypass is built.

“We wouldn’t be allowed to do that, and if we did it would probably fail the examination so I wouldn’t be able to advise that at all,” she added.

“However, there are policy proposals in here to seek contributions from developers for various infrastructure to help in terms of transport – walking, cycling and different things which are in line with Government policy – to try and come at problems with traffic from another angle.”

Members voted to move the plan onto the next stage by eight to three – with Labour town councillors Carol Bulman, Jonathan Parry and Mike Hunter all voting against.