Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 4024

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

The new Local Plan should prioritise protecting the open countryside that gives villages such as Mobberley their distinct identity. Fields between settlements are not simply undeveloped land; they provide important landscape character, support biodiversity, enable recreation and maintain clear separation between communities. The Plan should resist development that erodes these valuable countryside gaps, particularly between Mobberley and Knutsford, where incremental growth risks permanently changing the area's character. Development should be directed towards the most sustainable locations, with infrastructure delivered first and greater emphasis placed on reusing previously developed land before greenfield sites are considered.

Comment

Representation ID: 4027

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

A new Local Plan is necessary, but it must not become a mechanism for meeting housing targets at the expense of the countryside and the character of existing communities. The Plan should balance growth with the protection of valued landscapes, biodiversity, recreational space and the separation between settlements. In areas such as Mobberley, open countryside performs important planning functions and should not be treated as a reserve for future development. The new Plan should prioritise brownfield opportunities, infrastructure delivery and sustainable locations before considering the loss of important greenfield sites.

Comment

Representation ID: 4029

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

The increase in housing requirements cannot justify development in locations that perform critical planning functions. The open land around Mobberley is essential in maintaining separation from Knutsford and preventing the gradual coalescence of settlements. Any proposal to allocate these sites must be supported by robust evidence demonstrating that less harmful alternatives have been fully explored and exhausted. Particular regard should be given to cumulative impacts, including increasing traffic, environmental pressures and proximity to Manchester Airport. Existing communities are already affected by aircraft noise and associated pollution, and further residential development risks compounding these impacts rather than creating sustainable new communities.

Comment

Representation ID: 4034

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

Any assessment of Green Belt or ‘grey belt’ land must properly recognise the role of openness, landscape character and settlement separation. The countryside around Mobberley forms a vital buffer between the village and Knutsford and makes significant contribution to preventing coalescence. Land should not be judged merely on its availability for development. The assessment process must consider long-term strategic value, cumulative impacts and the permanent loss of countryside character. Once these sites are developed, their contribution to openness and separation is lost forever. Decisions should therefore be based on robust evidence and a precautionary approach rather than short-term housing pressure

Comment

Representation ID: 4041

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

The Strategic Environmental Assessment must take a precautionary approach and fully assess the ecological value of sites before allocation is considered. The fields, mature hedgerows, trees and associated habitats support wildlife and form part of a wider green network that contributes to biodiversity, landscape character and environmental resilience. Particular attention should be given to mature trees, protected species, priority habitats and the cumulative impact of habitat fragmentation. The area is also affected by existing environmental pressures, including traffic and Manchester Airport related noise and pollution. Any loss of open countryside requires compelling evidence that significant environmental harm can be avoided.

Comment

Representation ID: 4046

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

Cheshire East’s distinctive character is founded on its countryside, Green Belt, farmland, historic landscapes and separation between settlements. The new Local Plan should recognise that these are strategic assets, not land reserves for future development. Around Mobberley, open countryside provides an important setting for the village, supports biodiversity, contains mature trees and hedgerows, and maintains a vital gap with Knutsford. Once developed, these qualities are permanently lost. The Plan should place greater weight on protecting landscape character, environmental quality and tranquillity, particularly in areas already affected by traffic growth, aircraft noise and other cumulative environmental pressures.

Comment

Representation ID: 4049

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

Strong transport connections should not automatically be interpreted as a justification for additional development. Areas close to Manchester Airport already experience significant aircraft noise, traffic movements and environmental pressures that directly affect residents’ quality of life. Future growth must be assessed against these existing constraints rather than considered in isolation. The Local Plan should ensure that communities are not expected to absorb disproportionate levels of development simply because they are well connected. Infrastructure capacity, environmental impacts, road congestion and long-term sustainability should carry equal weight when determining where development should and should not be located.

Comment

Representation ID: 4052

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

The extensive rural areas of Cheshire East are a defining characteristic of the borough and should be treated as an asset worthy of strong protection. Villages such as Mobberley derive their identity from their countryside setting and clear separation from neighbouring settlements. The Local Plan should resist incremental development that gradually erodes these distinctions and creates pressure for further expansion in future plan periods. Maintaining meaningful countryside gaps is essential to preserving local character, protecting environmental quality and avoiding settlement coalescence. Growth should enhance existing communities without undermining the very qualities that make them attractive places to live.

Comment

Representation ID: 4059

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

Any Green Belt assessment must properly recognise the strategic importance of land around Mobberley in maintaining openness and preventing the gradual coalescence of settlements. The countryside between Mobberley and Knutsford is not surplus land and should not be regarded as an easy solution to housing targets. Once lost, this separation cannot be recreated. Any proposal to release Green Belt or classify land as grey belt should be supported by compelling evidence demonstrating all reasonable alternatives have been exhausted and long-term harm to landscape character, environmental quality, biodiversity, community identity and settlement separation has been fully assessed and avoided wherever possible

Comment

Representation ID: 4061

Received: 31/08/2026

Respondent: Mr Marc Vesty

The principle of strategic green gaps should be expanded beyond Crewe and applied wherever open countryside performs essential settlement separation function. The land between Mobberley and Knutsford is a clear example. These fields provide an important visual and physical break between communities and help preserve the distinct character of both settlements. Development would incrementally erode this separation and create pressure for further expansion in future plan periods. The Local Plan should identify and protect strategically important countryside gaps before they are lost, recognising that prevention of coalescence is far easier than attempting to restore settlement identity after development has occurred.