Campaigners claim residents views are being ignored

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Over 100 people turned out for a Strategic Planning Board meeting on Thursday, 26th September, to hear them discuss the draft Core Strategy report.

This is the latest stage of the Local Plan, which includes the proposed development sites for inclusion in the final Local Plan later this year.

Over 30 people spoke during the meeting, each of whom was allowed two minutes, and councillors were allowed to question each speaker for a minute.

Controversial proposals for Wilmslow include the introduction of new areas of Safeguarded Land, 40 hectares of Green Belt land off Upcast Lane and Prestbury Road are to be considered for development after 2030. Additionally, six hectares of Green Belt land behind the Royal London site (between the railway line and A34 bypass) have been earmarked for a commercial development called Wilmslow Business Park.

Peter Yates, former head of planning at Macclesfield Council, commented "In Wilmslow there is enough Safeguarded Land for up to 2080, at present development rates! In addition, as a great deal of these Green Belt areas have never been identified as Safeguarded Land, the public have had no opportunity to comment on them. These are very serious criticisms of the Council's latest Core Strategy documents, which could eventually lead to consideration being given to a legal challenge."

Manuel Golding spoke at the meeting on behalf of Residents of Wilmslow (RoW). He said "Responses to Shaping our Future made it clear that residents did not want any unnecessary development in valuable Green Belt so why does this Core Strategy involve developing even more Green Belt sites - which indicates local views have not taken into account? An extra 58.5 hectares of Wilmslow's Green Belt is being allocated for development.

"Then there is the so called Wilmslow Business Park for commercial use. The report states all sites have been to public consultation but this one has not - why? New Green Belt employment land is five times greater than estimated in the November 2012 Employment Land Review - Why the need for extra commercial land? There is no evidence offered in grabbing Green Belt land. Why?

"Wilmslow has approximately 130,000 sq ft of empty office space, with large commercial developments nearby at Airport City and Waters, to name just two, and empty space will be available at Alderley Park when AstraZeneca moves all but 750 staff. Why is this prime site not being utilised?

"There is no obligation under National Guidelines to appoint new safeguarded sites. Four large fields being taken out of Green Belt to safeguard for approximately 1,000 homes, in today's terms that is over 50 years supply - to 2080. This equates to 15% of safeguarded land in the borough and no evidence has been given to support this loss of Green Belt."

Manuel added "RoW is totally opposed to designation change. The Green Belt land on Alderley Road has been re designated Protected Green Open Space from Green Belt. The Leader of the Council in a meeting with RoW and George Osborne MP firmly stated this land would remain Green Belt. Why has this assurance not been kept?

"Existing brownfield sites plus the rate of windfall and brownfield planning approvals show there is no need to allocate Adlington Road and Royal London's Green Belt for house building in order to reach the required 400 homes."

Manuel continued "The plan advocates commercial development on Royal London's Green Belt, offices and hotel. There is no need for further commercial build here with the high level of empty office space at Royal London and Wilmslow in general. There is no evidence offered to support more offices and a hotel and no infrastructure studies were undertaken.

"Approximately 90% of Wilmslow respondents who are against the loss of any Green Belt, are being ignored. This is called democracy!!"

Speaking about the Strategic Planning meeting, Peter Yates added "A very controlled exercise, which lead to no changes to the report or Core Strategy Sites, or Safeguarded Land. The Plan will now go to the Cabinet and Council probably in October."

Tags:
Cheshire East Council, Core Strategy, Local Plan, Residents of Wilmslow
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Mario West
Tuesday 1st October 2013 at 1:49 pm
And now more Council Tax money will be spent on consultants to "lead a professional development team in advancing the technical analysis and arguments that will further support this proposal for an allocation within a new Local Plan"

Nothing like setting an objective/impartial brief??

Clearly they don't have in house capacity, or they want to be able to say that these 'experts' say it so it is ok..... http://bit.ly/1bqyRLO
Martin Wells
Tuesday 1st October 2013 at 8:27 pm
RoW makes all the right points. This is a very serious issue of an elected council going against the wishes of residents and furthermore making decisions without consultation. The process is flawed. How can anyone have any confidence in this council given its track record ? It is time to cut this short and get the evidence heard via a legal challenge.
Kathryn Blackburn
Wednesday 2nd October 2013 at 11:42 am
The Planning Rulebook guidance has been shortened from 1400 pages to 52 pages by the present government, thereby closing off most avenues of appeal. We have to establish a community right of appeal against the development of any other land other than brownfield/office/industrial sites. We need to have recognised by those that we have put into government office, the intrinsic value of the ordinary undesignated countryside along side the greenbelt, that which is so loved by the local community that they represent. Mr Osborne has gone one record as saying that the greenbelt is an 'irritating impediment' to economic growth and we are being accused of nimbyism for preferring Cheshire to remain the green and pleasant place we live in rather than an urban sprawl. We are not saying no to any development just NO to the development of greensites. If Mr Osborne wont listen then we have to make more noise, flood him with your letters like he wants to flood the fields of Cheshire with development. And if he still does not listen to us let us vote him out of office in our thousands.
Manuel Golding
Wednesday 2nd October 2013 at 7:03 pm
What does not appear in the above article is a matter of some concern to Residents of Wilmsloew. It is that whilst numerous parish & town councillors together with various residents' associations from across the borough took the time, trouble and concern to go to the Strategic Planning Board meeting in Crewe to air their concerns as they saw how the draft Core Strategy would affect their areas.

The only voice for Wilmslow heard was that from Residents of Wilmslow.
No one from Wilmslow Town Council attended, no CEC councillor spoke!!
Drew Donaldson
Thursday 3rd October 2013 at 1:42 pm
Oh dear. The NIMBYs are back. These fanatics do not represent the views of the (silent) majority of Wilmslow residents. They can bang on as long as they wish but hopefully their sphere of influence is non-existent.
Kathryn Blackburn
Friday 4th October 2013 at 10:29 am
May I remind Mr Donaldson of the article on this website dated Monday October 22nd 2012. Residents Groups Unite to protect East Cheshire Green Belt.

'RoW was formed by bringing together all the individual residents groups set up around Wilmslow to galvanise local opinion during the Wilmslow Vision Consultation'

I think we all remember the outcome of that consultation and the opinions of the majority of Wilmslow residents.And the results in the Dean Row electoral process. Its called Democracy Mr Donaldson.
DELETED ACCOUNT
Friday 4th October 2013 at 6:43 pm
Mr Donaldson, the fanaticism is not from the RofW but from Cheshire East which is determined to press ahead in the face of considerable opposition. They are also prepared to try and ensure that they have enough safeguarded land for future use in order to circumvent the democractic process.

I note that this is the second occasion upon which you have merely tried to dismiss peoples' genuine conerns by referring to them as NIMBYS. This reveals so much.
Drew Donaldson
Tuesday 15th October 2013 at 10:08 pm
Dear NIMBYs, I shall try and make this a simple as possible, so you can understand where I am coming from.
Where do you think, you and I and thousands of other Wilmslow residents would be living, if our predecessors took a similar stance to you and your fellow fanatics?
We can only thank those who had vision and a level of commitment over the past 100 years to make Wilmslow what it is today. This vision and commitment is now being shown by our local Council and they have my full support.
In the many years I have been around, at work or elsewhere, I have discovered that common sense is the least common of all the senses. This is yet another NIMBY stance which reinforces this view.