MP ‘very concerned’ at site movements
FRESH anger has erupted over a large housing development after heavy plant and equipment appeared on site - before work is allowed to begin.
Video has emerged showing equipment has arrived at land off Chelford Road, Macclesfield.
Developer Bellway has planning permission to build 134 houses on the land as part of controversial proposals for around 400 new homes in the area.
But as part of this permission, Cheshire East Council ruled no work can start until a plan has been agreed to deal with 24,000 cubic metres of peat there.
A traffic management scheme to turn Broken Cross Roundabout into a traffic light junction must also be in place first.
Both Bellway and the council say no work is taking place yet, but acknowledge that the machinery appeared on site this week as part of ‘site preparations’.
Richard Slater, from Henbury Parish Council, claimed: “We are disappointed to see work has commenced prior to important conditions laid out by the strategic planning board being resolved.
“Henbury Parish Council has received no notification of progress or amendments to these conditions.
“We are very concerned about the peat the developer will extract.”
Bellway has submitted its plans for the peat removal to the council, but as yet they have not been agreed.
Opponents also say they have not had the chance to scrutinise them as the document on the council’s planning website will not open.
Earlier this year the company also asked to have the requirement for the traffic management scheme waived - saying it cannot agree details with other developers involved to move it forward.
But again a decision is still pending on Bellway’s application for this.
Macclesfield MP David Rutley, who has spoken out in opposition to the scheme, says the pest extraction and traffic improvements are ‘serious issues’.
He said: “The reports of heavy plant arriving prior to the commencement of work are very concerning, particularly since these planned developments have been controversial from the start.
“It is vital the council responds to outstanding questions relating to the conditions relevant to these planning applications.
“Serious issues have been raised by Henbury Parish Council, Save Macclesfield Green Belt group and concerned residents.
“I share these concerns and it is vital that answers are now provided, as well as clear communication from the council on the proposed next steps for the developments, before work starts on the site.”
Peat is seen as environmentally important, acting as a carbon store to battle global warming. A total of 10,000 tonnes of it would be taken away, with 14,000 placed elsewhere at the site.
A Bellway spokesman said: “We have provided all of the required pre-commencement information to the council in relation to our reserved and outline planning permissions for our development.
“We are aware of delays within the local authority in the processing and publishing of the required information, but we can confirm that we have met all of the conditions from the local authority.
“We have received consultee approval on some of the conditions, allowing us to begin site preparations.
“But we are awaiting formal confirmation that we have met some other conditions, including the peat materials management plan, so are awaiting this before progressing with this element of the works.”
A council spokesman said: “We are aware that machinery has been brought onto this site.
“We have contacted the developers and obtained their agreement that no works will take place on site pending discharge of the necessary planning conditions.”