Local plan scoping consultation

With regard to Cheshire East’s “Local Plan Scoping Consultation”, Wistaston Parish Council are very concerned about the plan “call for sites” under Item 2.6, in the area bounded by the A.530, Wistaston Green Road, Church Lane, the A534 and Colleys Lane. The reasons for our concern are as follows:-
In the 1950s, Wistaston had six farms, now there is only one left. Since the 1950s, Wistaston has done more than its share in providing farm land for the development of housing. Initially, there was the Berkeley Towers Estate, then the Poets Estate. Later, further farmland was developed for housing at the Royals Estate, the Lakes Estate and Abbeyfields Estate. Recently, more houses have been built on farmland at Kingfisher Reach Estate (150 houses) and Wistaston Brook Estate (330 houses).
More recently, Cheshire East have approved planning application 25/2639/OUT for another 660 houses on good farmland, and another planning application 26/1149/FUL for yet another 188 houses on good farmland is being processed.
This leaves our last surviving farm, Red Hall, which is a long established, well run family dairy farm, and Cheshire East have included it in the “call for sites” plan. If this is transformed into a “housing and employment site”, then Wistaston will cease to exist as a village. The proposal also destroys any green gaps between Wistaston and Willaston.
So, Wistaston Parish Council would be grateful if Cheshire East were to remove Red Hall and its farmland from its “call for sites”. We also wish to stress that the farmland provides a wonderful wildlife habitat for the area, and is the last remaining part of Wistaston’s rural character.
[It should be noted that it is the Red Hall in the parish of Wistaston, and not the Red Hall in the parish of Leighton.]