12 Infrastructure

12.1 Policy context

Infrastructure comprises the physical, social, environmental and digital assets required to support communities, economic activity and sustainable development. This includes transport networks, utilities, energy, water supply, telecommunications, education, healthcare, green infrastructure, community facilities, sports and leisure facilities and cultural infrastructure.

Infrastructure has strong links with many Sustainability Appraisal themes. The provision, capacity and accessibility of infrastructure can influence economic growth, housing delivery, health and wellbeing, climate change adaptation, air quality, biodiversity and social inclusion. Ensuring that infrastructure is planned and delivered alongside development is therefore an important component of sustainable development.

The planning system plays an important role in identifying infrastructure requirements, coordinating investment, safeguarding land where necessary and securing developer contributions towards infrastructure required to support growth.

National

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) recognises infrastructure as a fundamental component of sustainable development. It requires Local Plans to identify, coordinate and deliver the infrastructure required to support planned growth, including transport, digital communications, education, healthcare, utilities, flood management, community facilities, green infrastructure, energy infrastructure and water infrastructure. The NPPF also places significant emphasis on ensuring that infrastructure delivery is aligned with housing and economic growth, and that development contributes appropriately towards infrastructure required to make development acceptable.

Relevant sections of the NPPF include:

• Chapter 2: Plan-making policies (PM1-PM17): requires Local Plans to be prepared positively, supported by proportionate evidence and informed by engagement with infrastructure providers and delivery bodies.
• Chapter 4: Achieving Sustainable Development (S1-S6): identifies the coordinated provision of infrastructure as a key component of sustainable development and supporting sustainable growth.
• Chapter 6: Delivering a Sufficient Supply of Homes (HO1-HO13): recognises the relationship between infrastructure provision, housing delivery and the creation of sustainable communities.
• Chapter 9: Supporting High Quality Communications (CO1-CO2): supports the delivery of digital communications infrastructure and improved telecommunications connectivity.
• Chapter 10: Securing Clean Energy and Water (W1-W4): supports the delivery of energy, water, utility and resilience infrastructure necessary to support development and achieve climate objectives.
• Chapter 15: Promoting Sustainable Transport (TR1-TR8): seeks investment in sustainable transport infrastructure and improvements to accessibility, connectivity and active travel.
• Chapter 16: Promoting Healthy Communities (HC1-HC8): supports provision of healthcare, education, recreation, open space and community infrastructure required to meet the needs of existing and future communities.
• Chapter 18: Conserving and Enhancing the Natural Environment (NE1-NE9): supports green infrastructure, biodiversity enhancement and environmental infrastructure.
• National Decision-Making Policies (DM1-DM10): establish the framework for planning conditions, planning obligations and other measures necessary to secure infrastructure and mitigate the impacts of development.

Particularly relevant policy areas include the plan-making requirements for infrastructure provision, the sustainable development policies, national decision-making policies relating to planning obligations and viability, the sustainable transport policies, and policies supporting public service infrastructure, utilities, digital communications and healthy communities.

The following national Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) sections are particularly relevant to infrastructure:

• Plan Making: Provides guidance on preparing evidence-based Local Plans and engaging infrastructure providers throughout the plan-making process.
• Viability: Sets out how infrastructure costs should be considered during plan preparation and development management, supporting the principle that policy requirements should be tested through plan wide viability assessments.
• Use of Planning Obligations: Provides guidance on the use of Section 106 agreements, including the application of the statutory tests contained in Regulation 122.
• Community Infrastructure Levy: Provides guidance on setting, charging, spending and reporting CIL and on preparing infrastructure funding evidence.
• Housing and Economic Needs Assessment: Highlights the need to consider infrastructure capacity and infrastructure investment when planning for growth.
• Flood Risk and Coastal Change: Provides guidance on infrastructure required to mitigate flood risk and support climate resilience.
• Healthy and Safe Communities: Supports planning for healthcare, sport, recreation, education and community infrastructure.
• Travel Plans, Transport Assessments and Statements: Provides guidance on transport infrastructure requirements and mitigation associated with development.
• Digital Connectivity: Supports delivery of high quality digital communications infrastructure and next-generation broadband networks.

Regional

Cheshire and Warrington Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Strategy supports investment in strategic infrastructure, including transport, energy, digital infrastructure and skills provision to enable economic growth and productivity.

Liverpool City Region, Warrington and Cheshire Transport Plans: Identify strategic transport infrastructure requirements and cross-boundary connectivity improvements affecting Cheshire West and Chester.

Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects within and around Cheshire West and Chester, including HyNet North West, strategic electricity infrastructure and transport schemes, all have implications for future growth and infrastructure planning.

Local

Cheshire West and Chester Council Plan identifies priorities relating to climate change, economic growth, healthy communities and sustainable neighbourhoods, all of which rely on appropriate infrastructure provision.

The Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) is the principal evidence base document relating to infrastructure.  It identifies the infrastructure required to support planned growth and sets out delivery mechanisms, costs, funding sources and phasing.

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charging schedule provides a mechanism for securing funding towards infrastructure required to support development.

The Annual Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) sets out the collection, allocation and expenditure of developer contributions and helps monitor infrastructure delivery.

Transport priorities are identified in the Local Transport Plan.  This also sets out infrastructure investment required to support economic growth, sustainable travel and accessibility.

The education, health, utilities and Green Infrastructure strategies prepared by the Local Authority and other businesses and infrastructure providers supporting evidence on future infrastructure requirements arising from population growth and planned development.

12.2 Baseline information

Car ownership in the borough is above the national average. 2021 Census data found that 83% of households own at least one car. There is a very high dependency on the car for commuting and 50.8% of residents travel to work by car. Only 1.7% of trips are made by bus and 7.4% by foot. The increasing rise in working from home has led to 31.5% of residents mainly working from home.

Commuter trips by public transport rail are low with 0.8% of residents commuting by rail. The distance that people commute is also of significance. 11.8% of residents commute 20km or more to get to work.

37,364 people commute into the borough for work (with Wirral and Flintshire the most popular source) and 36,704 people commute out of the borough for work with Cheshire East being the most popular destination.

The Council is responsible for 2283km of roads and 203km of cycle routes. A further 70km of Motorway and Trunk Road including parts of the M6, M56, M53, A55 and A550 is managed by National Highways.

Despite the low levels of public transport use, Cheshire West and Chester has a number of important strategic public transport linkages. It is serviced by a number of major rail lines and parts of the area benefit from relatively well used bus networks.  There are 21 rail stations within Cheshire West and Chester, with a wide offer in terms of destinations beyond the borough. The West Coast Main Line runs through the centre of the area. There are stations at Acton Bridge, Hartford and Winsford, but these are not served by Inter-City services to London or Scotland, for which a connection is needed at Crewe or Warrington Bank Quay.

The borough is served by around 50 routes, largely focused on Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford– although the network is denser in the west than the east. The rural areas are served by considerably fewer and less frequent services, with many villages not served by any frequent bus services. There are no direct services between Winsford and Chester, or between Ellesmere Port and either Northwich or Winsford, and only an hourly service between Chester and Northwich.

Department for Transport (2023) walking and cycling statistics show that Cheshire West has some of the highest levels of regular walking and cycling in the North-West. 7.4% of residents walk or cycle to work compared to 50.8% of residents who use a car and 1.7% who use a bus.  There is an extensive network of public rights of way and cycle routes. This includes a 1280km Public Rights of Way including 2443km of footways and 88km of bridleway. The National Cycle Network in the Borough is some 131km in length, while Regional Routes cover a further 217km. Additional circular and traffic free routes extend the cycle network by a further 155km.

There are four navigable waterways within Cheshire West and Chester, the Manchester Ship Canal, the Shropshire Union Canal, the Weaver Navigation and the Trent and Mersey Canal.

There are currently over 190 educational establishments in the borough including one University (Chester), one sixth form college, 129 primary schools and 20 secondary schools. The majority of the schools are in local authority-maintained schools but there are a number of private schools, free schools and academies. New housing would generate a need for pupil places in most areas of the borough. 

The main museums in the borough include: Grosvenor Chester; Stretton Watermill; Lion Salt Works; Northwich and Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse (Northwich); Cheshire Military Museum (Chester) and the National Waterways Museum (Ellesmere Port). Theatres include Storyhouse Chester, Theatre Porto, Ellesmere Port and the Harlequin Theatre Northwich.

The SP Energy Networks application provides an indication of the potential opportunities to connect Distributed Generation to the HV, 33kV and 132kV network in the SP Manweb plc licence area. Category: Red– At least one factor is close to its operational limit and so installation of most levels of Distributed Generation and a local connection is highly unlikely. It may also require extensive reinforcement works or given the lack of a local connection, require an extensive amount of sole user assets to facilitate such a connection. The situation for Cheshire West is shown online at: https://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/sp_manweb_heat_maps.aspx.

In CW&C as of July 2026, 86% of premises now have full fibre broadband availability compared to 78% of the UK. 98% of the borough’s premises have access to superfast broadband (the same as the UK) and 87% have access to Ultrafast broadband (compared to 86% UK average). 1% of premises in CW&C are unable to receive at least 10Mbit/s broadband, which is the same for the UK. 

12.3 Recent changes and anticipated trends

Cheshire West and Chester's population continues to grow, and the proportion of older residents is increasing. This is likely to generate additional demand for healthcare facilities, education provision, transport services, utilities, community facilities and green infrastructure. The table below shows the demographic changes over time (Office of National Statistics).

Table 12.2 – Demographic changes over time (Office of National Statistics)

2011

Approximately one quarter of the borough's population lives in rural areas. Access to employment, education, healthcare and other services remains a challenge in some locations, resulting in continued reliance on private vehicles and increasing importance of digital connectivity.

Planned housing and employment growth will place additional pressures on infrastructure networks. The timing and delivery of transport, education, healthcare, utilities, green infrastructure, digital infrastructure and community facilities will become increasingly important to ensuring sustainable growth.

National policy continues to promote a vision led approach that emphasises walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport. However, private car travel remains the dominant travel mode across much of the borough, particularly within rural areas.

Demand for electricity and water infrastructure is expected to increase significantly as a result of population growth, electric vehicle charging, renewable energy generation, low-carbon technologies and industrial decarbonisation.

Digital connectivity continues to improve across the borough. Coverage of gigabit-capable broadband and advanced mobile communications networks is expected to continue increasing as investment in digital infrastructure progresses and new development is required to provide gigabit-ready connections.

Climate change adaptation and resilience are becoming increasingly important considerations for infrastructure providers. Additional investment is likely to be required in flood management, sustainable drainage systems, green infrastructure and resilient utility networks.

12.4 Evidence gaps and proposed work

The Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) will continue to provide the principal evidence base for infrastructure planning within the borough. The IDP will need to be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in growth forecasts, infrastructure requirements, delivery mechanisms, funding sources and infrastructure costs.

Ongoing engagement with transport authorities, education providers, healthcare bodies, utility operators, telecommunications companies and other infrastructure providers will be required throughout the preparation of the Local Plan.

The Council's Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) provides an updated evidence base for transport infrastructure and accessibility requirements. Further work may be required to assess the cumulative impacts of development on the transport network and identify any mitigation measures.

Future growth options will need to be tested against infrastructure capacity, including transport, electricity, water supply, wastewater treatment, digital communications and flood management infrastructure.

Additional work may be required to understand the implications of increasing electrification, energy demand and industrial decarbonisation on the capacity of local electricity infrastructure.

Education and healthcare forecasts will need to be regularly reviewed to ensure future requirements are accurately reflected in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan.

Whole Plan Viability Assessment work will be required to ensure infrastructure requirements remain deliverable and do not compromise the overall viability of planned growth.

There are no significant evidence gaps relating to broadband or mobile communications infrastructure, as information is routinely published by Ofcom and network providers.

12.5 Local Plan scope and influence

The Local Plan can influence the location, scale and timing of development to ensure that growth is supported by appropriate infrastructure. Through strategic policies, site allocations and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan, the Council can identify infrastructure requirements, coordinate infrastructure delivery and safeguard land for strategic infrastructure where necessary.

The Local Plan can require development to provide infrastructure directly or contribute towards infrastructure that is necessary to mitigate its impacts. This may include transport infrastructure, education provision, healthcare facilities, utilities, green infrastructure, community facilities, digital infrastructure and climate resilience measures. The Local Plan can also help ensure that development is directed towards sustainable and accessible locations and that infrastructure is delivered at an appropriate stage in the development process.

The Council has an important role in planning for education infrastructure, including early years, primary, secondary, post-16 and special educational needs provision. Growth forecasts and infrastructure planning can be used to identify where additional school capacity may be required. The Local Plan can also support provision of healthcare facilities, community facilities, green infrastructure, open space, sports facilities and other infrastructure required to support existing and future communities.

Digital connectivity is increasingly recognised as essential infrastructure. The Local Plan can support provision of digital communications infrastructure where appropriate, although delivery is influenced by national legislation, permitted development rights and investment decisions made by telecommunications providers.

12.6 Key sustainability issues and opportunities

• Delivering infrastructure alongside housing and employment growth to ensure development is supported by adequate facilities, services and utilities.
• Coordinating infrastructure provision through the Infrastructure Delivery Plan to support sustainable growth across the borough.
• Ensuring sufficient education, healthcare, community and recreational infrastructure is available to meet the needs of existing and future residents.
• Addressing infrastructure capacity constraints, including transport, energy, water supply, wastewater treatment and digital communications networks.
• Improving access to infrastructure and services for rural communities and reducing inequalities in accessibility across the borough.
• Supporting investment in digital infrastructure, including gigabit-capable broadband and mobile communications networks, to support residents, businesses and service providers.
• Providing resilient infrastructure capable of adapting to climate change, including flood management, sustainable drainage systems and green infrastructure.
• Supporting low-carbon infrastructure, renewable energy networks and the transition to electric vehicles and other emerging technologies.
• Securing timely and proportionate developer contributions to help fund the infrastructure required to support planned growth.
• Ensuring infrastructure requirements remain deliverable and do not adversely affect the viability of development needed to meet housing and economic growth objectives.

12.7 SA framework