Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 4026

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Richard Belfield

I strongly object to the proposed 291-hectare development across 12 contiguous parcels 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 only 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 and wildlife habitats. The Council should retain Green Belt protection and reject this site entirely.