Full text:
Dear Strategic Planning Team,
As a resident of Whirley Road, I am concerned that development on the Greenside edge could lead to ribbon-like growth beyond the current town envelope, and I would like the new Local Plan to protect the landscape, drainage, and local habitats while ensuring safe access and appropriate evidence-based site selection.
Landscape, nature and drainage
As a resident of Whirley Road, I am worried that development around Greenside could create extended, finger-like development beyond Macclesfield’s existing edge, and I request the council to evaluate the impact on the wider landscape, views, field patterns and the rural setting of places such as Roewood Farm. This area contains ponds, mature hedgerows, trees and wildlife links, with the former-quarry Local Wildlife Site nearby; these features should be surveyed together and not treated in isolation after a site has been chosen. Local concerns about heavy clay, standing water and surface-water flooding should be investigated through proper seasonal drainage work, and electricity pylons, easements and other constraints should be accounted for before estimating a site’s capacity for homes.
Previous assessments and consultation
Some of these areas have been ruled out in the past due to Green Belt, access, landscape or other concerns. The council should publish those earlier findings alongside the full site submissions, new site assessments, the scoring system, transport evidence and updated Green Belt work. If a site is reconsidered and the council reaches a different conclusion, it should explain what has changed and what new evidence supports that decision. Housing figures should be based on the genuinely usable portions of each site after allowing for access, drainage, ponds, pylons, landscaping and other constraints—not merely the total field area. Residents should be able to comment on this evidence before preferred sites are chosen, while there remains an opportunity to influence the plan. Site submissions should be clearly described as land put forward for consideration, not as planning applications or agreed housing allocations.
Roads and access
Birtles Road, Whirley Road and Sandy Lane are narrow country roads with constrained sections, limited passing places and no continuous pavements. They are already used by walkers, cyclists, horse riders and agricultural vehicles, in addition to cars. The Weaver Green development is particularly relevant; Cheshire East required its vehicle access to be from Chelford Road and explicitly prohibited access onto Whirley Road “in the interests of highway safety” under planning permission 17/4277M. That decision does not automatically rule out future development, but it demonstrates that safety concerns on Whirley Road exist. If the council now believes these roads can support more large housing sites, it should provide clear evidence explaining why. The council also needs to assess all proposed sites around Greenside collectively, since considering each site separately could underestimate the combined traffic on Whirley Road, Birtles Road, Sandy Lane, Chelford Road and Broken Cross. Safe access, pavements, cycle routes and any necessary road widening should be shown to be genuinely achievable before land is allocated, rather than left to be resolved later.
Green Belt and countryside
The Green Belt boundary around this part of Macclesfield follows Whirley Road and Birtles Road, with the surrounding fields helping to contain the town and prevent urban sprawl. The government’s grey-belt guidance indicates that open land can still contribute to preventing sprawl where development would extend a Green Belt finger, which is a real concern for several sites around Birtles Road, Whirley Road and Sandy Lane. The council should follow a clear hierarchy when identifying land: first utilise brownfield and underused urban land, then test higher urban densities and existing safeguarded land, and only then consider Green Belt release. If Green Belt land is needed, national policy prioritises previously developed land, followed by grey belt and then other Green Belt land. Previous council assessments found that Green Belt parcels in this area substantially contributed to preventing unrestricted sprawl of Macclesfield; if the council now adopts a different stance, it should explain what has changed.
Please take these points into account when defining the scope of the new Local Plan and preparing the next consultation stage. I would also welcome a clear account of how consultation responses have influenced the plan.
This response has been prepared using an AI drafting tool. I have reviewed it and it reflects my own views.
Yours faithfully,
Whirley Road resident
