KNUTSFORD now has a bigger voice in the fight against unwanted development.

The town's neighbourhood plan has been handed over for independent examination following the latest round of statutory consultation.

It means that the emerging plan will now be given bigger weight in planning decisions – as national guidelines say that the further a neighbourhood plan is towards being adopted, the bigger the weight it should be given.

Once the neighbourhood plan has passed examination, it can be put forward to residents in a referendum, who will then decide whether or not to approve it.

Adam Keppel-Green, clerk at Knutsford Town Council, added: “It has taken quite a few years for us to get this far. It is a substantial piece of work and we have had more than 100 volunteers working on it.

 

“The key thing is that it puts the Knutsford community’s voice into what is otherwise a borough-wide planning system.

“It sets out a vision for the town, and it addresses some of the frustrations that town councillors have had in the past few years with certain planning decisions.

“It has been given a bigger weight as we have moved along, and we do now see the plan mentioned in officer’s reports.”

The latest round of statutory consultation came to an end on November 23.

CEC has also passed Middlewich and Congleton's neighbourhood plans on for independent examination.