Residents urging Cheshire East Council to scrap development of Danes Moss North forever
More than 7,000 people have signed a petition urging a local council to scrap a controversial development completely.
Campaigners say the development could push wildlife, which is already under threat, towards extinction as well as destroy woodland and rare peatland.
The petition asks Cheshire East Council to reject the application near Macclesfield and remove the site from the local planning strategy entirely.
The South Macclesfield Development Area (SMDA) is set to be built on Danes Moss North – between the southern edge of Macclesfield and the Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.
Wildlife campaigners said work on the peatland has been halted severals times in the past after numerous objections.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust have lodged eight separate objections to the development of the site as far back as 2014.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust campaign manager James Melling said: “Danes Moss North should never have been considered for development in the first place.
"Building here would see woodland axed, rare peatland bulldozed and threatened wildlife pushed towards local extinction.
"This is one of the most the most damaging developments ever given permission in Cheshire.”
The campaign manager continued to say that Local Wildlife Sites are "far more valuable to nature than Greenbelt" as they are "the cornerstones of our nature network".
Mr Melling also said it could cost close to £2.5million to compensate for the nature that would be lost on the site.
He continued: "Losing these wildlife strongholds undermines everything we work towards as a Trust.”
Some residents in Macclesfield have opposed the development, including shops and businesses in the area such as Save Dane Moss posters and window art.
Tom Eccles, Chair of Save Danes Moss posters and window art commented: “You only need walk through Macclesfield to experience the outrage that the community is feeling.
"7000 Cheshire residents have now said that Danes Moss should remain a natural space.
"They aren’t alone either. Last year, our campaign was backed by 24,000 people across the country, including celebrity campaigner, Chris Packham.”
"We now call on Cheshire East Council to do the right thing and get round the table with ourselves, Cheshire Wildlife Trust and community representatives to discuss the future of Danes Moss North.
"Danes Moss has the potential to deliver enormous benefits to people, wildlife and the climate.
"This is the time for Cheshire East Council to show leadership by putting a stop to this development and giving all of Danes Moss back to nature and back to the people of Macclesfield.”
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