People of Crewe join up with Cheshire residents to protest against housing on nature reserve
Campaigners fighting plans to build nearly 1,000 homes on peat-land in Cheshire East say the proposals will destroy one of the biggest carbon stores in Cheshire.
Objectors demonstrated outside Crewe Municipal Buildings on Wednesday (May 4), regarding the Macclesfield site - before the start of the strategic planning board meeting.
Protests also took place at Macclesfield Leisure Centre before the full council meeting last week.
They are opposed to plans to build 960 new homes, shops, green spaces and a new link road on the land, known as the South Macclesfield Development Area (SMDA).
The site was granted outline planning permission in January 2019 and a reserved matters application has recently been submitted and will be considered before the end of the year.
Nantwich resident Jeremy Herbert, who was demonstrating in Crewe, said: "There's real concern. This isn't just about a nice place in Macclesfield, this is about the core of our county and capturing carbon, protecting the environment.
"It's about climate change, it's about wildlife, it's about everything we hold dear in South Cheshire so we really need to fight for this together, all the towns in Cheshire East."
Following the protests, Mr Herbert posted an image in Crewe community groups on social media with a message, saying: "This is something we should all be concerned about.
"The protest this morning include people from Crewe, Nantwich, Congleton and Northwich as well as Macclesfield. We are stronger together. Join us here."
Thomas Eccles, from Save Danes Moss campaign group, said: "This proposal is proposing to destroy one of the biggest carbon stores in Cheshire so it's of international importance that we don't build on Danes Moss."
When asked what the group hoped to achieve by protesting outside the council buildings, he said: "It's to make sure the strategic planning members have the right information about this.
"Peat is a carbon store. If you start excavating it you release massive amounts of carbon and you lose the chance to restore it to a carbon sink forever."
The SMDA was first earmarked for development in 1997.
In February of this year, Cheshire East released a statement about the proposal due to growing concerns from some residents.
It said the evidence suggests the peat on the land is not currently active or growing and this is likely to have been the case for at least 140 years – something strongly disputed by the campaigners.
Cheshire East said while it is not the majority landowner of the site, it previously agreed to take the lead role on the development's infrastructure.
By doing this, it says, it is working to ensure that the method used to stabilise the ground will protect the carbon already stored in the peat and prevent, as far as possible, further leakage.
It continues: "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."
Council leader Sam Corcoran said in the statement: "I would reassure them [concerned residents] of the work that has and is still being done by the council to bring forward the best possible outcome for this land.
"Our aim to greater explore how we can enhance carbon capture within the green spaces of this scheme."
Campaigners insist the development will 'devastate wildlife and release untold tonnes of CO2'.
Stoke-on-Trent resident Sharon George, offered her opinion on social media, adding: "What is with this building on valuable ecological habitats that once lost, are gone, for good?
"Trees being felled everywhere for 'developments,' that from what I can see are not the social housing we need.
"It seems that opposition to individual projects don't gain enough support to stop them."
Recently, there have been a large number of applications to develop more homes in Crewe.
This includes a bid from Anwyl Homes to build 45 homes off Sydney Road - the previous two bids from developers were refused.
READ MORE: Bentley's Crewe factory officially unveils new car model.
READ MORE: Sourdough proves top crust for historic South Cheshire bakery.
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(Ryan Parker and Belinda Ryan)
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