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 It’s a tricky balance, preserving all that’s best about picturesque Cheshire, while looking ahead to predict how changing trends in the way we live will shape its future.
 How much new housing should go ahead? Where should new developments be located - plus amenities such as shops and leisure facilities which serve them? And what about businesses - where should they best be sited to maximise opportunity?
Into this equation add protecting and enhancing the local environment - particularly when increased demand in services also has an impact on waste disposal policies.
And then there are new approaches to improve transport networks to encourage wider uptake of public transport and open up new travel opportunities.
 In Cheshire such vitally important issues are addressed in the Council ‘Structure Plan’ which sets out the broad framework for future developments. Through this, national and regional planning guidance is interpreted, providing a strategic context for local plans which contain more detailed land use policies and also earmark specific sites for development.
A fundamental review of development plan systems in England is under consultation which could mean the replacement of structure plans and district local plans with a new policy framework.
Local plans to regulate mineral exploitation and waste disposal are also prepared by the Council. Each of Cheshire’s six district councils is required to prepare a local plan covering the whole of their areas.
With plenty of choice in housing, places to shop and ways to get around, Cheshire offers the complete lifestyle package
- Crewe and Nantwich district - has the highest percentage increase in house sales
- Congleton district - has more detached houses (39 per cent) than any other
- Vale Royal district - has the most new housing - nearly 1,200 new dwellings built in a single year
- In Ellesmere Port and Neston district - more than 40 per cent of households live in semidetached homes compared with 35 per cent across Cheshire as a whole
- In Chester - more than 70 per cent of households are owner-occupied
- Macclesfield district - has more professional workers, employers and managers than any other part of the county, as well as the highest property prices and the greatest volume of retail sales
 Bag me one! In one year alone around 31,000 tonnes of green garden waste recycled from Council household waste centres produce more than 15,000 tonnes of soil improver - 600 tonnes bagged up free for local amateur gardeners and the rest is used for restoration of closed landfill sites.
Sustainability is the philosophy underpinning the current Structure Plan Cheshire 2011 - adopted in 1999. This provides for new homes, jobs, shopping and leisure facilities needed by this generation while conserving the county’s environment and natural resources for the benefit of future generations.
It also complements the policies and associated targets of Cheshire's Local Agenda 21.
 Subjects under the spotlight include housing or employment where partnership working reflects a more accurate picture of local priorities and concerns.
Sorted! Over 95 per cent of people surveyed in Cheshire on environmental issues call for increased recycling and composting and reduced landfill, and 97 per cent are willing to separate their own household waste prior to collection.
In tandem with this, ‘sub-regional’ issues which impact upon the county and sectors within it - such as planning guidance, housing numbers, or regional parks - will also attract additional support to help make a difference in communities and improve quality of life.
Did you know?
- Across Cheshire Nearly three in four householders own their own homes (74 per cent) compared with 67 per cent for England and Wales as a whole.
- Nearly one in four (22 per cent) believe more affordable housing should be made available.(Quality of Life Survey 2000)
- Cheshire is the third safest place to live in the country; figures show that recorded crime stands at 61.7 per 1000 people, compared with a national figure (1999/00) of 101.1.
Rest and Play
 More than six out of ten Cheshire residents say listening to music is their preferred leisure activity - but 35 percent claim work prevents them from spending more time on recreation. (Quality of Life Survey 2000)
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