Background documents

The Local Development Framework must be informed by up-to-date evidence on key aspects of the social, economic and environmental characteristics of the area.

These background documents will be relied on when testing the soundness of Local Development Framework documents such as the Local Plan at examination. 

• 2010 based population forecasts - methodology (PDF, 238KB) - details the method used to produce population and household forecasts that informed the preparation of the Local Plan Preferred Policy Directions.
• Action Plan: Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cheshire sub-regional housing strategy 2009-2012 (PDF, 145KB) sets out the council's housing priorities. 
• Article 4 Direction - Garden Quarter area of Chester - report to Executive in June 2012 - looks at the issue of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).
• Chester characterisation study - intended to guide development in Chester city centre and will help architects and designers.
• Chester's One City Plan: vibrant history, dynamic future is a 15 year strategy to guide the future economic regeneration of Chester.
• Chester prosperity study - housing and the economy (PDF, 846KB) - focuses on Chester but also looks at the wider borough to consider need for new housing growth to support the economic development of the area.
• Conservation area appraisals - aim to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of the designated areas.
• Council Plan (PDF, 3.4MB) - sets out the Council's vision and priorities from 2011-2015.
• Creating growth, cutting carbon: making sustainable local transport happen - a Department for Transport white paper - sets out the Government's vision for a sustainable local transport system.
• Economic growth and its impact on the demand for housing in Chester (PDF, 800KB) - looks at the economic growth forecast for the city of Chester and how it may affect housing needs in the area.
• Ellesmere Port vision and strategic regeneration framework - identifies key development zones in Ellesmere Port and will stimulate, focus and support activities and developments over the next 10 to 15 years.
• Employment land review - the supply of and demand for employment land in the West Cheshire area.
• Green infrastructure (GI) framework for North East Wales, Cheshire and Wirral and the Ellesmere Port and Chester GI links action plan - provide a guide for green infrastructure planning, investment and delivery.
• Gypsies and Travellers accommodation needs assessment (PDF, 1.23MB) - produced in 2007 on behalf of the Cheshire Chief Executives Advisory Group, explains the detailed current and future needs of Gypsies and Travellers for accommodation and other services.
• A study was also completed in August 2011 which identified potential Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showperson sites.
• Integrated transport study baseline report (PDF, 2.73MB) - the first phase of a study which will support the preparation of the Local Plan and the Local Transport Plan.
• Interim local aggregate assessment (PDF, 757KB) - is an assessment of the borough's aggregate mineral resources as at 2012.
• Key service centres background paper - looks at the 9 key service centres in the borough and identifies the key considerations that informed the proposed distribution of housing through the Local Plan Preferred Policy Directions.
• Liverpool city region overview study (PDF, 2.52MB) and Technical appendix (PDF, 2.47MB) - provide a review of housing and employment supply and demand across the area to identify potential cross-boundary land development issues and links.
• Local economic assessment, story of place (PDF, 1.77MB) amalgamates key socio-economic indicators and provides the foundation to any investment proposition.
• Low carbon study (PDF, 3.81MB) and Appendices (PDF, 1.37MB) - a technical assessment of potential renewable and low carbon energy resources in the borough, and guidance for addressing carbon emissions from buildings.
• Minerals audit: sand and gravel sites (PDF, 1.48MB) sets out the borough's available resources and future mineral needs.
• Monitoring reports - annual monitoring of: the Council's housing land supply; the Local Plan documents and policies; and minerals and waste technical information.
• National flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy for England - prepared by the Environment Agency and Defra - describes what needs to be done by all organisations involved in flood and coastal erosion risk management.
• North West Aggregate Working Party (NWAWP) annual reports - monitor primary aggregate sales and land banks as well as permissions.
• North West regional waste studies - provide regional, sub regional and local information on the amounts of waste produced and managed.
• Northwich area flood risk assessment - a strategic and holistic approach to managing flood risk for the Northwich Vision development areas.
• Open space audit and assessment of need - looks at whether there are enough green spaces and sport and recreation facilities in the borough.
• Playing pitch strategy (PDF, 614KB) - looks at the sports pitches within the borough.
• Recycled aggregate survey (PDF, 2MB) - findings of the survey of recycled aggregate facilities in the borough.
• Retail studies - assess the need for additional retail development and include town centre 'health checks'.
• River Dee green infrastructure feasibility study (PDF, 3.16MB) - by the Mersey Dee Alliance considers how the green infrastructure assets provided by the River Dee can be used to protect, enhance and expand natural assets while also providing social and economic benefits.
• River Dee Park masterplan - contributes to the conservation, enhancement and extension of the city's green infrastructure and will provide a baseline for developing management plans for the park's green and open spaces. You can read the document in sections: Chapters 1-3 (PDF, 2.97MB), Chapters 4-6 (PDF, 978KB) and Appendices (PDF, 3.96MB).
• Rural housing strategy (PDF, 1.29MB), Rural housing strategy action plan (PDF, 979KB) and Rural regeneration strategy and action plan (PDF, 2.05KB) - look at housing and regeneration issues in the rural parts of the borough.
• Rural workspace study (PDF, 1.28MB) - produced in March 2009 on behalf of Cheshire County Council, the Cheshire and Warrington Economic Alliance and the Northwest Regional Development Agency, assesses the supply and demand for rural workspace in Cheshire and Warrington through to 2013.
• Strategic flood risk assessment - identifies and assesses the risk of flooding from all sources across West Cheshire.
• Strategic housing land availability assessment (SHLAA) - looks at how much suitable land we have for housing.
• Strategic housing market assessment (SHMA) - information on housing markets, housing need and the financial viability of meeting those needs across West Cheshire.
• Subrregional apportionment of the 2005-2020 guidelines for aggregate provision in the North West (PDF, 707KB) - sets out the revised aggregate requirement for the North West.
• Sustainable Community Strategy - evidence and results from consultation will be considered as part of the Local Plan evidence base.
• Sustainability appraisals and strategic assessments - set out key baseline information for the West Cheshire area along with plans, policies and programmes which are relevant to the Council's Local Plan.
• The future of sub-regional apportionment in the Cheshire sub-region (PDF, 520KB) - sets out the revised aggregate requirement for Cheshire.
• The private rented sector in Cheshire West and Chester headline report (PDF, 459KB) - examines the role of the private rented sector in the borough, and its relationship to the social rented sector in meeting housing need. 
• Waste need assessment (PDF, 1.75MB) - looks at how many and what type of waste management facilities we need to plan for in the Local Plan (report produced for Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East councils).
• Waste need assessment update 2013 (PDF, 1.24MB) - updated assessment of need for waste management facilities in Cheshire West and Chester.
• Water cycle strategy - looks at how additional development may affect Cheshire West and Chester's water environment.
• West Cheshire and North East Wales sub-regional spatial strategy and strategic environmental assessment process report 2006-2021 - provides a non-statutory framework for greater cross-border co-operation and development between North East Wales and West Cheshire until 2021.