Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 3251

Received: 29/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Robert Hough

I strongly object to the proposed 291-hectare development at Ashley. This is high-performing Green Belt, not Grey Belt. It prevents urban sprawl, maintains the vital countryside gap between Greater Manchester and Cheshire, and safeguards open,
productive farmland. Ashley is a small rural settlement with limited services, no bus network and limited rail. Every approach crosses narrow, constrained bridges. A development of this scale is fundamentally unsustainable and would cause severe traffic, infrastructure and drainage pressures while damaging protected landscapes, wildlife habitats and the settings of numerous listed buildings. The Council should retain Green Belt protection and reject this site entirely.