CHESHIRE East’s Local Plan has been formally submitted to the Secretary of State, representing more than four years’ worth of public consultation and comprising thousands of responses.

Feedback from more than 40,000 residents and organisations were collated and fed-in to the document.

The strategy has undergone nine rounds of public consultation since 2010.

The final six-week consultation, over March and April this year attracted 3,458 responses alone, from 657 individuals and organisations.

Deputy Leader, clr David Brown, who oversees the Local Plan, said: “A Local Plan for an authority this size, and with such character and heritage, is indeed a minefield, but we have done it – and we have done it well.

“We kept to the course and have now formally submitted this heavyweight planning strategy to the Planning Inspectorate. Cheshire East can then complete its journey of growth to bring the much-needed jobs and housing to the people of Cheshire East, while protecting our precious greenbelt.

“What we have now is a highly consulted upon strategic document that will map housing, jobs and infrastructure for the next 15 years.

“This is about creating opportunities for our future generations so that people who grow up in Cheshire East can live and work here, if they wish.

“The Local Plan has finally been submitted, within good time and is one of the most highly consulted Local Plans in the country. We are very proud.”

The independent inspector will now examine the authority’s Local Plan Strategy and it is anticipated that this process will begin in September 2014.