Audley Rural Parish Council’s Views on the Strategic Employment site (AB2) in the Local Plan (NBC Local Plan Main Modifications Consultation Ends 17 December)

Audley Rural Parish Council’s Views on the Strategic Employment site (AB2) in the Local Plan
(NBC Local Plan Main Modifications Consultation Ends 17 December)

What is AB2?

AB2 is a proposed Strategic Employment site in the Newcastle-under-Lyme Local Plan. It covers almost 80 hectares of agricultural land and open countryside currently within the Parish and Borough’s Green Belt, located near Junction 16 of the M6 and bordering the A500, Park Lane, Moat Lane, and Barthomley Road.  For context, the total site area is comparable in size to the combined villages of Audley and Bignall End.

In addition to the Local Plan, a planning application has been submitted by the developer for the AB2 site which includes:

  • Six “Big Box” logistics warehouses
  • A 200-space HGV lorry park
  • A new left-turn access for A500 westbound traffic
  • A traffic-light controlled right turn for vehicles approaching from the Junction 16 of the M6
  • Creation of 2,500 to 3,570 jobs
  • Green Infrastructure

As a Strategic Employment site, AB2 will provide jobs for Newcastle-under-Lyme, but also the wider areas including Cheshire East and Stoke-on-Trent. Cheshire East Council has formally objected to the allocation in the Local Plan stating: “Site AB2 is adjacent to the borough boundary and is slightly closer to the centre of Crewe than it is to the centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme (and much closer to the centre of Alsager). There are concerns over the impacts that the plan may have on Cheshire East, for example in terms of housing demand, infrastructure requirements and travel patterns”.

Parish Council considerations

Since 2021, the Parish Council has objected to the AB2 site allocation.  At the Local Plan Examination hearings in May and June 2025, the Parish Council presented detailed representations using legal expertise.  Key considerations included:

  • Green Belt designation: National planning policy requires “exceptional circumstances” to alter Green Belt boundaries, and the Parish Council sought clarity on how these tests have been met.
  • Environmental role of the land: The site provides a buffer between nearby settlements and major roads.
  • Local impacts: Potential issues include noise, light pollution, air quality, increased traffic through local roads, and additional pressure on infrastructure and services.

Traffic and A500 slip-road safety

The concerns raised by the local residents regarding transport and road-safety conditions around the A500 slip road, which serves the area, have been raised within the representations.  Increases in traffic collisions at the Audley/Alsager Road slip-road exits, linked to congestion on the A500, reinforce the validity of these concerns.  The Parish Council has requested that these existing conditions be carefully considered by the Planning Inspector when assessing the site’s suitability.  The Parish Council has also asked for clarification on how additional vehicle movements—including HGV traffic associated with the proposed development—would be managed, and what measures may be required to ensure safe access to and from the site.

Next steps

Further representations will be made in response to this last consultation which ends 17th December 2025.