KNUTSFORD Town Council’s Neighbourhood Plan committee is celebrating as it reaches the key milestone of submitting the final draft of the plan to Cheshire East Council.

The Neighbourhood Plan has been painstakingly prepared by a team of councillors and volunteer residents over the past four years and has been informed by three public consultations.

The submission of the plan to Cheshire East sees its adoption on the horizon, with it now being subject a final statutory consultation, which runs until November 23.

Members of the public can view the Neighbourhood Plan and its supporting documents on the website – knutsfordneighbourhoodplan.org.uk, and comments on the policies can be submitted to Cheshire East Council.

The plan will go to examination by a planning expert in December, with a public referendum on its adoption expected in February.

However by reaching this crucial stage the policies already begin to have some weight in making planning decisions.

Town clerk Adam Keppel-Green said: “We are proud to be reaching this key stage and moving a step closer to the Neighbourhood Plan being brought into force.

“Once again we would like to place on record our thanks to all those who have taken the time to contribute to the plan and especially to the volunteers on our working groups who have helped us create a Neighbourhood Plan.”

Nearly 100 residents have worked on the detail of the policies, and hundreds more have fed into the process at consultations over the past few years.

The town council was supported by Macclesfield-based Urban Imprint, which provided technical knowledge and helped ensure the plan met its statutory requirements.