The green belt will be protected despite a massive jobs and homes boost, according to the council leader.

Cheshire East council bosses have said the borough can expect a major jobs and homes increase over the next 15 years, according to new reports released this week.

The documents were drawn up as evidence for the council’s Local Plan, which states where homes, businesses and infrastructure will be built until 2030.

But they show the borough’s economy is likely to grow more quickly than expected.

It means the council must provide 36,000 homes in the Local Plan - an extra 7,000 on the draft already submitted. With recent planning permissions taken into account, the council must find another 3,000 homes.

This will be a concern for residents who want to protect green spaces around Macclesfield as it’s unclear yet where the extra homes will be built.

But Coun Michael Jones, leader of Cheshire East council, said there will be no more homes on the green belt.

He said: “We need 3,000 more homes, and towns like Wilmslow, Knustford and Poynton will have to take some more.

“Work is underway to create two new neighbourhoods close to Macclesfield town centre on previously developed land, at the Barracks Mill and next to the canal, which will provide up to 300 new homes. But there are no plans for additional housing in the green belt.”

Leader of Cheshire East Council councillor Michael Jones

The Local Plan includes 250 homes on green belt owned by King’s School at Fence Avenue, 150 homes at Gaw End Lane in Lyme Green and 300 homes on land off Congleton Road.

A planning inspector examining the plan found it it had ‘serious failings’, saying it did not have enough homes and the green belt review was not done correctly. He suspended the examination until the council provided new evidence.

Cheshire East paid consultants £300,000 to draw up the documents.

The council has to accommodate an estimated 31,410 new jobs by 2030. The initial version of the Local Plan envisaged net jobs growth of 13,900.

Coun Jones said: “Our growth numbers were too low, but in 2012, the sun started shining again and Cheshire East is in the midst of a jobs boom.

“Cheshire East now has more businesses per head than any other North West district. We need to provide more housing locally but the green belt will not be impacted on.”

It’s hoped the Local Plan examination will resume in the early autumn.