Local plan scoping consultation

I am writing to register a firm formal objection to the inclusion and consideration of the 291.03-hectare land submission around Ashley within the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) and the wider Local Plan review.

The submission comprises 12 interconnected and contiguous parcels extending to a total of 291.03 hectares. The scale and location of this proposed development are fundamentally inappropriate. In my view, the evidence demonstrates that the land is unsuitable, unavailable and undeliverable for strategic development and should not be identified for future Local Plan allocation.

The respondent objects on the grounds that:

Ashley is a small rural settlement which they consider unsuitable for strategic-scale growth.
The site performs important Green Belt functions, including maintaining settlement separation and preventing urban sprawl.
The land does not constitute an appropriate Grey Belt release opportunity.
The local transport network, including roads, bridges and rail services, is considered incapable of supporting large-scale development.
The site is affected by Manchester Airport safeguarding and aircraft noise constraints.
Development would adversely affect biodiversity, ecological networks and nearby designated sites.
Significant impacts are anticipated on landscape character and the setting of heritage assets.
The proposal would result in the loss of Best and Most Versatile agricultural land.
Flood risk, drainage and water management constraints raise concerns regarding deliverability.
Existing utility and infrastructure provision is considered insufficient to support development.

The cumulative effect of these constraints demonstrates that the site is unsuitable, unavailable and undeliverable for strategic development and requests that all 12 parcels be excluded from future Local Plan allocations.