Cheshire West and Chester Conservative Councillors are furious that the Labour administration submitted a “wrecking ball” amendment to an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Council, called by Conservative Councillors, to demand that the Labour Government reduce the housing delivery target of Cheshire West and Chester of 1,928 homes per year - a figure 285% higher than previous, which removed the purpose of the submitted motion.
Unilaterally imposed without consulting residents, the near 300% increase in housing targets has seen dozens of speculative applications totalling some 15,000 houses proposed in inappropriate locations across the borough, without accompanying infrastructure or support for affected communities.
Proposed by Councillor Adrian Waddelove (Farndon, Con), the original debate requested that the Leader of the Council to write a joint letter with the other political group leaders of Cheshire West and Chester Council to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to:
● Seek a reduction in the Council’s housing target, and
● Request the creation of a reasonable period of grace during which any shortfall in the Council’s land supply may be set aside, allowing the full weight of existing Local and Neighbourhood Plans to continue to be applied.
Speaking during the debate, Cllr Waddelove, the Cheshire West and Chester Conservative Group Leader argued:
“Right now, there is literally no protection from development. In my own Farndon Ward, I have already received notice of three planning applications totalling some 560 homes in the past four months alone. Combined, that would increase the size of Farndon village by 60% between today and 2032. Does anyone think that is sustainable?
“Our Local Plan policies have been eroded. The democratically passed Neighbourhood Plan, supposedly protecting Farndon until 2030, has been essentially consigned to the dustbin of history. And it’s not just Farndon. It is the bleak future which literally every single village and community right across Cheshire West and Chester faces – and some areas have already seen large-scale developments given the green light. Residents are rightly worried because they see their local community being dramatically changed forever without any of the required infrastructure to cope with such exponential growth.”
Seconded by Cllr Patricia Parkes (Hartford and Greenbank, Con), she highlighted that:
“Cheshire West and Chester has a strong track record of consistently exceeding our housing targets, delivering around 1,100 homes a year against a requirement of 500. The issue we are debating today is not a failure to build, but the consequences of a system that is now working against us.
“In my own ward of Hartford and Greenbank, we have seen around 1,000 homes built over the past decade, but the infrastructure has not kept pace. Roads are under pressure, healthcare provision is stretched, local schools have expanded and are now at capacity, and yet we are facing the prospect of another 1,000 homes. That is simply not sustainable, for existing residents or for those moving in. This is why planning matters, and this is why a plan-led system matters.”
During the meeting, the Labour administration submitted an amendment that removed any requirement to request a change in the housing targets set by Government whilst re-iterating that “There will be an inevitable period of speculative housing development whilst the commitment to both is delivered but they will be subjected to the same rigour that has always applied.”
In response, Cllr Waddelove said:
“This (amendment) is simply not credible. It asks residents to accept “an inevitable period of speculative development” as if that is a neutral or manageable outcome. It is not.
“Once the Council cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, the tilted balance applies in full. That is not a minor procedural issue—it fundamentally shifts decision-making power away from the Council and towards developers. Speculative applications are no longer the exception; they become the norm, and they are far harder to resist on appeal.
“To suggest these applications will be “subjected to the same rigour that has always applied” is misleading. The entire point of the tilted balance is that the usual weight of local plan policies is reduced. If this Council won’t attempt to reduce housing targets - or at the very least moderate them - then this amendment has rendered my original motion pointless. The Council has clearly decided it is perfectly happy with a 285% increase in houses.”
“Residents are being asked to accept the loss of local control now, in exchange for nothing. This Labour Council has tonight put the policies of the Labour national government ahead of the wishes and expectations of residents here in Cheshire West and Chester. And it begs the very real question as to why any voters should believe any of the promises which you make at elections.”
Read the original text of the motion and the amendment submitted by the Labour Party here: Choose agenda document pack - Council 21 April 2026 - Cheshire West & Cheshire Council
