Concerns raised over Danes Moss plan

Campaigners have raised concerns about plans to build almost 1,000 new homes on peatland in Cheshire.

Plans for the site, known as the South Macclesfield Development Area, include 950 new homes and a supermarket.

Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England and Macclesfield FC, as well as local campaign groups, are among those who have raised concerns.

Cheshire East Council said it was a “hugely complex site” which was first earmarked for development in 1997.

The site was granted outline planning permission in January 2019 and a reserved matters application has now been submitted.

Responding to the plans, Macclesfield FC said they had not been consulted and the plans appeared to be based on the assumption the club would be moving.

A petition has also received more than 6,000 signatures and Cheshire Wildlife Trust, which runs neighbouring Danes Moss nature reserve, said the council had not completed the right studies.

Dr Rachel Giles said the right studies had not been completed to show what would happen when vegetation is removed

“We’re concerned because we simply don’t know what’s going to happen to this whole area when the site is developed,” said Dr Rachel Giles, from Cheshire Wildlife Trust.

“Natural England, who are the government’s adviser on the national environment, have warned Cheshire East Council that there could be significant impacts on our nature reserve.”

Campaigner Thomas Eccles, from Save Danes Moss campaign group, said people in the area were “devastated” about losing the green space.

“I think if the council understood the seriousness of climate change and if they understood how vital peat is in absorbing carbon and holding carbon, they would understand this is one of the worst places on the planet to develop,” he said.

“The council actually commissioned a report in 2021 into the peatlands in Cheshire East and it says that development of peatlands should be stopped immediately in Cheshire East.”

Thomas Eccles described the site as “one of the worst places on the planet to develop”

The council said while it was not the majority landowner on the site, it had agreed to take the “lead role” on the development’s infrastructure.

“If the council did not proceed with this development on its land, the private sector would take the lead and the council would have much less control over the ultimate development of the land outside the Local Planning Authority powers,” it said.

The council is set to discuss the plans in April.