Local plan scoping consultation

Dear Strategic Planning Team,

I recognise that the Council needs to plan for future housing and that additional homes will be required. However, I believe this should be balanced against the need to protect the natural environment, landscape character, and ecological connectivity of Macclesfield. Suitable brownfield and previously developed sites should be prioritised wherever possible before valuable Green Belt and greenfield land is released.

I believe Green Spaces are important and a valuable part of the local environment and should be protected for future generations. The Green Belt and surrounding green fields provide much more than open space: they support wildlife, contribute to local biodiversity, and form valuable ecological corridors that allow birds, mammals, insects, and other species to move between different habitats and green spaces. The loss and fragmentation of these areas through housing development would have significant detrimental impact on local biodiversity.

I am particularly concerned that Green Belt land should not be considered for development when suitable brownfield and previously developed sites are available. The Council should give priority to the redevelopment and regeneration of appropriate brownfield sites when meeting housing needs, rather than sacrificing valuable Green Belt and greenfield land.

My other concerns include:
• Landscape and local character: The land makes a significant contribution to the rural setting, landscape, and character of Macclesfield. Parts of the land are topographically elevated, which means that any housing development could be particularly prominent and visible from surrounding areas. Development would permanently alter the appearance and character of the landscape and could have a significant adverse visual impact.

• The function of Green Belt land: This land provides an important buffer and visual transition between the built-up area of Macclesfield and the surrounding open countryside. Maintaining this separation is essential in protecting the distinctive character and identity of Macclesfield and preventing further coalescence between development and rural areas.

• Biodiversity and ecological connectivity: My academic research has focused on the environmental impacts of urbanisation and housing development, including habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss, and the importance of ecological corridors. My research into Danes Moss provided a particularly clear example of the environmental consequences of urban encroachment and habitat fragmentation in the Macclesfield area. It demonstrated the importance of protecting connected green spaces and considering the cumulative impact of development rather than assessing individual sites in isolation. Through this research, including fieldwork, I have seen how continued development around the edges of towns can progressively reduce the connectivity of green spaces.
Green spaces should not be considered in isolation. Even where land is not formally designated as a nature reserve, it can provide important habitat, feeding areas and routes through which wildlife moves between larger areas of habitat. Housing, roads, and associated infrastructure can fragment these connections, potentially creating barriers, separating wildlife populations, and reducing their ability to move between habitats. I believe the potential impact of developing this site should therefore be considered not only in terms of the land itself, but also in relation to its role within the wider ecological network around Macclesfield.

• Permanent loss of green space and habitats: Once developed, the open fields, wildlife habitats, ecological connections, landscape, and views currently provided by this land would be permanently lost. Unlike previously developed land, Green Belt and greenfield land cannot simply be recreated elsewhere once built upon.

I appreciate that the Council is currently at an early stage of preparing its new Local Plan and that no decision has yet been made to allocate this land for housing. Nevertheless, I would like my strong concerns regarding the potential development of this Green Belt site to be formally recorded and fully considered as part of the consolation process.

Kind regards,
Issy Drake