Local plan scoping consultation

I am writing in response to Cheshire East Council’s Local Plan consultation to express my serious concerns about the potential scale of future development around Adlington and the surrounding area, particularly the possible loss of Green Belt, agricultural land and open countryside.

As a local resident, I fully recognise the need for Cheshire East to provide new homes and plan responsibly for future generations. I am not opposed to appropriate development. However, I strongly believe that new housing must be genuinely needed, sustainably located and supported by appropriate infrastructure, rather than being driven simply by the availability or commercial value of undeveloped land.

The fields and countryside surrounding our communities are fundamental to the character of this area. They provide separation between settlements, protect its rural identity, support wildlife and biodiversity, contribute to drainage and flood management and include valuable agricultural land. Once this countryside is developed, that loss is effectively permanent.

I am particularly concerned about the cumulative impact of development. Individual sites may appear relatively modest when considered separately, but the combined effect of releasing multiple areas of open land could fundamentally alter the character of this part of Cheshire East and gradually lead to urban sprawl and the erosion of the distinction between existing settlements.

There are also very real concerns regarding infrastructure. Local roads and junctions already experience significant pressure. Further substantial development would inevitably increase traffic and place additional demands on schools, healthcare and other local services. Infrastructure capacity should therefore be considered at the very beginning of the site-selection process, rather than after sites have effectively become established as suitable locations for development.

I also believe it is extremely important that the assessment of land submitted for potential future development is completely transparent.

The fact that land has been put forward for consideration does not in itself mean that developing that land represents the best outcome for the wider community. Inevitably, the development of previously undeveloped land can create considerable financial value for landowners, developers and investors. That makes it particularly important that commercial interests are clearly separated from the planning judgement about where development should actually take place.

I am not suggesting wrongdoing by any individual or organisation. My concern is that residents must have confidence that decisions capable of permanently changing our countryside are being made objectively and in the long-term public interest.

I would therefore like to see clear and transparent evidence demonstrating why any Green Belt or open countryside site is considered necessary; what reasonable alternatives have been considered; how brownfield and previously developed land has been prioritised; how infrastructure capacity has been assessed; and how the cumulative impact of neighbouring development sites has been taken into account.

Sites should not be considered purely in isolation. Several individually acceptable developments can collectively have an unacceptable effect on landscape character, traffic, infrastructure, wildlife and the separation between communities.

I would urge Cheshire East Council, when preparing the new Local Plan, to give the strongest possible protection to Green Belt and valued open countryside, prioritise brownfield and previously developed land wherever reasonably possible, protect productive agricultural land and wildlife habitats, and preserve the distinct identities and separation of existing communities.

We chose to make our home in this area because of its distinctive balance between established communities and beautiful open countryside. My concern is not simply about protecting the outlook from my own home. It is about what this area will look and feel like for our children and future generations if substantial areas of countryside are gradually lost to development.

Development may create significant short-term financial value in land, but planning decisions made now will shape this area for decades. Once these fields are gone, they are gone.

I therefore ask Cheshire East Council to ensure that genuine housing need, sustainability, infrastructure, environmental protection and the long-term interests of local communities remain at the heart of the new Local Plan and the assessment of potential development sites.