A group of Wilmslow residents has joined together to urge Cheshire East Council to reclassify valuable peatland in Wilmslow as green belt, in order to protect it from development .
Bellway homes have submitted a planning application for a residential development of 133 homes on a 5.43ha site off Cumber Lane. The former green belt site, which was allocated as safeguarded land in Cheshire East's local plan, consists of mainly fields along with four dwellings with associated garages and sheds.
Additionally, Anwyl Homes is planning to construct a residential development of 68 new homes at Upcast Lane. The 4.47ha former green belt site was identified as safeguarded Land in the Local Plan.
The community group Protect Lindow is arguing for the council to reassess its housing site plans in order to prevent the loss of 4.5 hectares of land which includes peatland to housebuilding.
Kevin Rae from Protect Lindow said: "This land is a vital part of our local and national heritage. Peatlands are incredibly important supporters of biodiversity and play a massive role in the world's carbon absorption. This land sits only a few hundred metres away from where the Lindow Man was found preserved in peat, a historical find which put Wilmslow on the map for its peat deposits.
"Cheshire East Council designated this land as being a potential site for housing back in 2013, at which time the fields were not recognised as containing peat. The site was later identified as a site of internationally recognised importance as part of Lindow Moss but the classification of the land didn't change to reflect this, which means that it's now under threat from housebuilding despite being held up as a national example of peatland.
"We believe that if the land had been recognised as having such critical importance back in 2013, the site would never have been removed from the green belt. The council's own Landscape Character Assessment outlines a policy to protect and manage areas of peat and mossland to maximise the biodiversity, spirit of place and maintain the distinctive moss rooms which can be found at this site. We're urging the council to restore this land to its protected state before lasting damage is caused, and to refuse the application from Bellway Homes."
Protect Lindow is calling on the council to revisit the classification of the site before any further residential developments are pursued.
Kevin added: "I'm urging every resident of Wilmslow to support this campaign, object to the Bellway Homes development and help save our green spaces from housebuilding."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
The majority of residents will be totally against these, but how can they voice their objections. Some won’t know, not everybody reads the websites, so is it possible for the group to make all residents aware, and easy for them to object and gather the whole weight of the town against these destructive and unwanted invasions?
There’s lots of information on there and links to the planning portal to register your objection
For far to long East Cheshire Council have sold out to developers for profit with no regard to the people that live in this area. The planning proposal is in its early stages and we might think that there is no way the council would agree this development. But as many will know by now that’s not how it works. We have to fight this one tooth and nail. There are so many reasons why this development is ludicrous but I will highlight only 2.
1. The acces roads namely Cumber lane and Moor lane for the larger development are crumbling in front of our very eyes. It’s difficult to drive a car down some sections. And the Cumber lane proposal would mean some where in the region of 3000 large lorries would be driven in and out during the build. And anyone that is familiar with Upcast lane I think would agree that it’s ludicrous to think 2000 Lorries could get to the site down that very narrow lane.
2. One word….Services. East Cheshire council would happily rubber stamp this without any thought to the strain on the schools, doctors and dentists. We all know that it’s virtually impossible to get a doctors or dentists appointment and many of the schools are bursting at the seams. And these developments would add at least 1000 people wanting these services.
I have been a resident of Wilmslow for 25 years and I say enough is enough. I hope that the Protect Lindow argument will nip this in the bud. It has the kind of subject matter that the government will pay attention to otherwise East Cheshire council will just say we are only doing what the government are telling us to do.
Well I say to every resident in Wilmslow enough is enough. We have all worked hard to live in this neighbourhood and we deserve some rights, stability and concern. No government or council can ride roughshod over anybody they want because …’We need more housing’
I intend to fight this in my way I can and I urge every resident to do the same. East Cheshire council has used Wilmslow as it whipping dog too many times and it has to stop.
Once more, good luck.
Tony Evans
When discussing this with friends or family they should be made aware it isn't "only" the 133 from Bellway and the 68 with access from Upcast Lane, the two developments are separated by land which is also "Safeguarded" and therefore is also in line for further housing.
Different developers would be involved but the areas would join together and when combined would likely be in the region of 500 houses or more.
Perhaps Hannan, you can point us to your activities supporting the important issues? I agree, despite my little dig, it is essential to support the fight against the development and party politics should have nothing to do with it.
Our view on the government's irresponsible change in planning rules, specifically the increase in housing targets without giving councils the powers to manage the development, has been clear since the change was first announced.
However, please do not confuse not posting updates on social media every five minutes with inactivity. Our RoW councillors have been very active supporting residents (in particular the teams leading the campaigns), not just on this application but on forthcoming applications on Welton drive and Heathfield farm.
The people getting on actively fighting these developments know the support we have been giving but it would seem the people just shouting from the sidelines don't, so perhaps we do need to publicise out activity more.
What I find strange (and thoroughly disappointing) is the radio silence from Esther McVey.
The proposed development on Green Belt Land at Welton Drive could only have been conceived as a direct result of the Labour Government’s clumsy and misguided manipulation of Planning rules. Far from providing much needed starter homes or affordable homes, this is a speculative attempt by a local builder to profit from a site that offers unrivalled views across a golf course to The Edge.
I’d like to think that any Conservative MP worthy of the position would be taking every opportunity to shine a light on the absurdity of this situation.
What I find strange (and thoroughly disappointing) is the radio silence from Esther McVey.
The proposed development on Green Belt Land at Welton Drive was conceived as a direct result of the Labour Government’s clumsy and misguided
I suspect you will all resign then, if this Labour government does force councils to go back to a cabinet system.
Every single resident will probably agree that Cheshire East is ineffective and failing.
Let’s see what happens, but it’s very clear RoW is unable to stand up for our local community and they need to vote and support the local Labour Party.
Where is people before politics?
Does anyone know when the Butterfly Bank site was purchased by the “local developer”? I’ve heard that it was “land banked” many years ago but I have no way of checking that.