PROTESTS AGAINST ALSAGER STADIUM PROPOSAL

NEARLY 160,000 people have signed a worldwide petition calling for Alsager Town’s plans to build a new stadium on a greenfield site to be blocked.

Protestors want to stop the stadium being built on Fanny’s Croft, a local beauty spot which is home to badgers, bats, hares and many species of bird, plus wild flowers.

Raleigh Properties Ltd want to build a new sports ground to replace the north west Counties Premier Division club’s existing Wood Park site, which is no longer fit for purpose along with 300 homes and a 60-bed extra care scheme.

However, under the banner of the Friends of Fanny's Croft Campaign, protestors have so far collected 156,000 name of a petition running on www.thepetitionsite.com with signatures coming from as far afield as California and New Zealand. The petition asks Cheshire East Council to refuse planning permission for the scheme on the site.

The would-be developer claims that the site is the most sustainable for the proposals in Alsager due to its proximity to the town centre and railway station.

A statement issued by Raleigh said: “The development of Fanny's Croft offers a range of significant local benefits and any perceived disadvantages – for example Green Belt conflict – do not carry significant weight to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the presumption in favour of well-planned sustainable development.”

Leading campaigner and local resident Jo Dale added: “The sad bottom line is that greenfield is cheaper to buy, but it’s so short-sighted.”