Local plan scoping consultation

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to formally object to the proposed allocation and development of land in and around Ashley.
I have serious concerns about the scale of development being proposed and the impact it would have on Ashley and the surrounding area. This is a small rural community, and development on this scale would completely change its character and place significant pressure on an area that simply does not have the infrastructure to support it.
One of my main concerns is the loss of Green Belt land. The countryside around Ashley provides an important separation between the Greater Manchester conurbation and the rural communities towards Mobberley and Knutsford. Allowing large-scale development here would significantly reduce that separation, lead to further urban sprawl and result in the permanent loss of open countryside.
The local road network is another major concern. Anyone who regularly travels through Ashley will know that the surrounding roads are narrow rural lanes with bridges, junctions and pinch points that are already difficult at busy times. A substantial increase in housing would inevitably bring considerably more vehicles onto these roads and onto the routes towards Hale, Altrincham, the A538 and M56. I cannot see how this could be accommodated safely without fundamentally changing the rural road network itself.
Although Ashley has a railway station, the village does not have the range of services and facilities required to support development on this scale. Residents would still be heavily reliant on cars for schools, shopping, healthcare, employment and many other everyday journeys. Having a railway station should not, on its own, be used to justify such substantial development in an otherwise rural location.
I am also concerned that the sites could be looked at individually rather than considering what they would mean collectively. The cumulative impact of developing land across Ashley needs to be considered as a whole, particularly in relation to traffic, Green Belt loss, landscape, drainage and flooding, wildlife, agricultural land and pressure on local services.
There must also be proper consideration of whether development of this scale should be directed towards locations that already have the infrastructure, services and transport capacity to accommodate significant housing growth. Ashley should not be fundamentally altered simply because large areas of land have been put forward for development.
Once this countryside and Green Belt land has been developed, it cannot be restored. The consequences for Ashley and the surrounding communities would be permanent.
For these reasons, I strongly object to the proposed allocation and development of these sites and ask Cheshire East Council to reject their inclusion and protect Ashley from inappropriate and unsustainable development.
Yours faithfully,
Alexandra Mackey