Cllr. Jamie Macrae - Prosperity Portfolio Holder
Councillor Jamie Macrae, 51, was born in Knutsford, 
and educated at Repton School in Derbyshire. He studied for
his BA (Hons) degree and Diploma in Architecture at Manchester
University, becoming a chartered architect and a member of the
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1983. He spent 22
years working for one of the UK’s major construction companies
within their Design Group and became Chief Architect in 2000
working between his home in Mobberley and their London and regional
offices. Since 2005, he has worked as a part-time consultant
architect to industry to enable him to devote more time in his
demanding role as a Cabinet Member for Planning and Development on
Macclesfield Borough Council and now Portfolio Holder for
Prosperity at Cheshire East Council.
He was first elected onto Mobberley Parish Council in 1992, and
served as Chairman for three years. He joined Macclesfield Borough
Council in 2001 as ward councillor for Mobberley, becoming chairman
of Planning and, for the past five years, Cabinet Member. He was
elected to represent the Bucklow Ward for Cheshire East in 2008 and
appointed as a Cabinet member.
Portfolio
Prosperity is wide-ranging and covers several key strategic
responsibilities. These are Economic Development and Regeneration,
a primary responsibility of a large unitary authority, Strategic
Highways and Transport Policy, Strategic Housing Policy, Visitor
Economy (including Tourism), Planning and Building Control.
Tell us about your priorities?
Developing new spatial (overarching) planning policies for Cheshire
East which strongly align with our developing Community Strategy
especially in housing and transport sectors; establish a strong and
effective alliance with our partners to deliver economic
development and regeneration opportunities across Cheshire East,
including the town centre redevelopment schemes for Macclesfield,
Crewe and Congleton; also support and invest in our
hugely-successful visitor economy.
What’s your main message to the people of Cheshire
East?
The new council structure provides us all with opportunities to
play a part in shaping the places where we live and work.
Neighbourhood involvement in decision-making is essential. I urge
everyone who wants to make that difference to get involved and
forge new partnerships to deliver at a local level. Community
involvement in producing recent town and parish plans has provided
valuable environmental, social and economic requirements to assist
in developing new policies.
What’s your vision?
Cheshire is a great place in which to live and work. Here in
Cheshire East, we have many of the finest tourism destinations in
the north west - Tatton Park Estate, the Cheshire Peak District,
National Trust properties and gardens, the iconic Jodrell Bank,
plus our many other heritage attractions. Promoting and investing
in our “Visitor Economy” will become a signature for Cheshire East
worth over £600 million to our local economy.
In promoting economic development, I will work in close
partnership with Cheshire West and Warrington to promote inward
investment across Cheshire, supporting the valuable science,
research and technology base we are fortunate to have locally,
ensure we bring forward policies that will ensure our manufacturing
and engineering base is secured and can expand to meet the
challenges ahead.
The change in local government here in Cheshire East provides us
with an opportunity to develop integrated strategic housing and
transport policies and infrastructure. This will ensure we can both
promote sustainable communities and economic development.
What opportunities do you see that Cheshire East will
take advantage of?
Housing and particularly ‘affordable ‘ housing to buy or rent
continues to provide a significant challenge to both rural and
urban communities across Cheshire East. We have three excellent
Housing Trusts in Cheshire Peaks and Plains (Macclesfield), Dane
Plus (Congleton) and Wulvern Housing (Crewe), all of which continue
to deliver new and exciting schemes working in close partnership
with us.
In transport infrastructure, we will now be responsible for
delivering the long- awaited Alderley Edge By-pass, and strongly
promote the Crewe Gateway project which will also deliver
significant economic development opportunities, in conjunction with
the completion of the Crewe Green Link Road.
The successful ‘Market Towns Initiative’ delivered across
Nantwich, Alsager, Middlewich, Sandbach, Bollington and Congleton
has been significant in meeting aspirations of the community for
improvement in their towns.
The sponsorship of the Cheshire Year of the Gardens 2008 and the
ongoing promotion of Cheshire Gardens of Distinction ensures that
in Cheshire East we have re-established our recognition nationally
and internationally. We can now look forward in 2009 to the impact
of the textile industry on East Cheshire, Staffordshire and
Derbyshire through July’s Three Shires Textile Festival, another
campaign which will strengthen our existing tourism
partnerships.
Greatest Challenge?
The impact on the local economy of Cheshire East during the current
slowdown. We have already established a high-level Recession Task
Group of Cabinet members and senior officers to assess where and
how we can respond rapidly. We are looking at the impact across all
of our service areas including employment, housing, investment and
the programming of our capital schemes.
How can people contact you?
By e-mail jamie.macrae@cheshireeast.gov.uk
by phone 07872 807367 or even by post at:
Tollgate Cottage, 10 Greenwood Terrace, Town Lane, Mobberley,
WA16 7HL.
