Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 4763

Received: 01/09/2026

Respondent: Mr Tim Bedell

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 & wildlife habitats. The Council should retain Green Belt protection and reject this site entirely.