Our Response To Housing Proposals

Cheshire West & Chester Liberal Democrats acknowledge the Borough Council’s decision to investigate potential sites for new housing and recognise the importance of getting this process right for all communities. Our response is as follows:

Protecting our historic villages — and improving our towns:

• Respect village character. Future schemes must enhance the unique heritage of our rural communities—from Burton, Farndon, Kelsall and Tarvin to Tattenhall—so that new buildings sit comfortably alongside historic streetscapes.

• Phase growth sensibly. Introducing housing in carefully planned stages will give newcomers time to integrate and help parish councils plan community activities and support networks.

• Level up our towns. Chester, Neston, Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford face different pressures: brown-field regeneration, town-centre renewal and high street vitality. We will champion designs that revive empty plots, add green space and create vibrant, walkable neighbourhoods.

Infrastructure first, not years later:

• Transport, health and education up front. GP surgeries, dental practices, primary school places and frequent, reliable public-transport links must be delivered in parallel with house-building—and funded by developers, not council-tax payers.

• Modern drainage and digital connectivity. Flood-resilient drainage, gigabit-speed broadband and EV-charging hubs should be treated as standard utilities in every scheme.

Homes our young people can actually afford:

• Genuinely affordable mix. A much higher share of each development must be priced for local key workers and young families, enabling them to stay near friends, relatives and jobs instead of being priced out to neighbouring counties.

• Lifetime design. Adaptive layouts and accessible standards will let residents stay in their homes as needs change, easing future pressure on social-care budgets.

Zero-carbon, future-proof design:

• Energy-efficient builds. From heat-pump-ready heating systems and rooftop solar to high-performance insulation, every new home should be built to meet net-zero carbon emissions. 

• Biodiversity net-gain. Green corridors, hedgerow restoration, wetland preservation and tree planting will protect the farmland that underpins Cheshire’s rural economy and natural beauty, including the Dee Estuary. 

Next steps

Cheshire West and Chester Liberal Democrats will examine the Council’s full proposals as soon as they are published and issue a detailed public response, highlighting the plans that meet these tests and the areas that require revision.