Delivery of The Garden Village takes step forward

The Garden Village at Handforth is to take a major step closer to fruition as two key delivery milestones are soon to be reached.

Cheshire East Council’s Strategic Planning Board has approved the consultation draft of the planning framework for the site and on Tuesday (11 September), the council’s cabinet will consider the suite of practical measures necessary to progress delivery of the village. 

The draft supplementary planning document (SPD) sets the quality and design principles for The Garden Village and, once adopted, will form part of the planning policy that any future planning applications submitted for the site will be judged against. The SPD will ensure that the council’s vision to deliver a high-quality, community-led Garden Village is realised and builds on the Local Plan Strategy and the visioning document for the site, as well as a suite of technical studies. 

The council will launch its consultation on the draft SPD later this month, when local stakeholders, interested parties and the public will be able to comment on the framework.

Councillor Ainsley Arnold, cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration, who has rubber-stamped the SPD for consultation, said:

“The Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy establishes the principle of creating a new plan-led settlement east of Handforth, promoting good growth for the region. This draft supplementary planning document now provides a detailed vision of how the new exemplar village can be planned and built. This, alongside the forthcoming implementation strategy, is one of the first of a number of steps the council will be taking to ensure the Garden Village becomes a reality as a great place to live and work. We therefore welcome as many comments as possible on the draft document.”

The draft SPD sets out the overarching design principles for the ‘Village Heart’ and each of the character areas of the Garden Village. Engine of the North will act as lead developer on behalf of the council and will submit a planning application to deliver the Village Heart and infrastructure.

Councillor Jamie Macrae, chairman of Engine of the North, said:

“Engine of the North are the custodians of the council’s vision to create a truly sustainable and characterful new village for Cheshire East. This lifetime community will support its inhabitants as their lives grow and evolve, from first-time buyers to families, as well as older people looking to downsize.

“As over 40 per cent of the site will be green open space, amenity space and habitat protection, the Garden Village will not only be a great place to live but also somewhere for new and existing residents to come and enjoy their surroundings for generations to come.”