Cheshire East Council make the decisions regarding all planning applications. Poynton Town Council is only consulted by Cheshire East, in the same way as other residents. Poynton Town Council has a Planning and Environment Committee which reviews all planning applications which are submitted for Poynton. Using local knowledge, the Town Council will consider each application, including wider issues such as the potential to cause future flooding and will make recommendations to Cheshire East. Planning applications, including new housing developments, are determined by Cheshire East in the context of Government policies and requirements for housing, the Cheshire East Local Plan and the Poynton Neighbourhood

Plan. Whilst Cheshire East must consider the views of consultees, they do not have to accept the recommendations made by the Town Council.

The planning laws require Cheshire East to decide (“determine”) all planning applications within a set deadline after they are submitted. If Cheshire East do not issue a decision within this deadline, the applicants may appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. Recently, a number of planning appeals have been sent to the Planning Inspectorate on the basis of non-determination as they have not been decided by Cheshire East in the required time frame.

The Cheshire East Planning Department also investigates and may take enforcement action when a development does not comply with the planning consent. The Town Council has been concerned that Cheshire East Planning Department have not been sufficiently robust in undertaking enforcement where there has been an alleged breach of planning conditions.

The Town Council has written to Cheshire East expressing our concern in relation to these matters.