Dear Editor,
I am writing as a follow-up to the concerns expressed by Jonathan White in your 19 March article “Alarm over 220-homes plan for Wistaston” – namely Redrow Homes’ plans for large-scale housing development on farmland designated as part of the strategic green gap between Crewe and Nantwich.
I have read the response from Natural England to the Cheshire East planning team on their planning portal regarding whether or not an Environmental Impact Assessment is required for this site 25/0773/EIA.
Natural England state they “do not hold information on the location of significant populations of protected species, so are unable to advise”.
They go on to say “this development proposal may have environmental impacts on priority species and/or habitats, local wildlife sites, soils and best and most versatile agricultural land, or on local landscape character that may be sufficient to warrant an EIA. We therefore recommend that advice is sought from your ecological, landscape and soils advisers, local record centre, recording society or wildlife body.”
I live 490 metres from the western edge of the proposed site and since the start of the 2020 pandemic lockdown have been recording the birds, mammals and insect species I have seen in the fields, hedgerows and gardens there.
To date this numbers 112 different species and to the best of my knowledge I believe 19 of these are on the UK Government’s critically endangered, protected or “Red” lists.
In addition to sharing this information with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust I have also forwarded it to the Cheshire East planning team with the request that it is taken into account and shared with any Environmental Agencies or internal Council teams that may be involved in the assessment of this application.
I believe decisions for developments greater than 200 homes or four hectares reside with the Strategic Planning Board of Cheshire East – whose remit also specifically includes control over the preservation of trees and protection of important hedgerows.
At a national level we have been hearing our politicians promoting plans for brown and “grey field” development and continuing to express their concern about the need to protect the natural environment.
At a local level I do not understand how pastureland in the green corridor between the built-up areas of Crewe and Nantwich can even be under consideration for development – especially a large-scale housing development within an area specifically designated as a strategic green-belt gap.
Yours sincerely
Julian Hadrill
Wistaston
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