Information Hub
We will use this section to share information as we get it and update of our analysis of the proposal and the process during the next months.
A Moment to Pause, Breathe and Be Thankful.
Cheshire East Council Votes Unanimously to Oppose Adlington New Town
We're delighted to share genuinely positive news with you all.
Today, Cheshire East Council voted unanimously to oppose Adlington New Town. Every single councillor, across all parties, stood together and said no to this proposal.
Several members of our team were at the full council meeting at Tatton Park this morning, speaking on your behalf and hearing the discussions first-hand. Public speakers, parish councillors and councillors all presented well-researched, compelling arguments against the proposal.
Thank you
This result didn't happen by accident. It happened because of you, because our community came together and made their voices heard. Thank you to everyone who wrote letters, attended meetings, shared information with neighbours, and supported the campaign in countless ways. Your efforts truly made a difference, and today the councillors had everything they needed to represent your views with confidence and conviction.
Thank you also to our councillors for listening, for acting on behalf of the local population, and for their unanimous support. The Notice of Motion to oppose the Belport proposal to build up to 20,000 houses on Adlington green belt was proposed by Councillor Fiona Wilson (Labour, Macclesfield South) and seconded by Councillor Mike Sewart (Poynton West and Adlington). This cross-party unanimous decision shows unity across the entire council.
At the meeting, Council Leader Nick Mannion and Deputy Leader Michael Gorman acknowledged their earlier letter of support sent to the New Towns Taskforce in June and have committed to urgently writing to Matthew Pennycook, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, making the council's opposition to the proposal unequivocal and setting out their reasons. We will share this letter once it is released in the next ten days.
Where we stand now
We now have overwhelming opposition to this proposal from every level:
• Tim Roca, our MP – opposed
• Neighbouring constituency MPs – opposed
• Cheshire East Council – unanimously opposed
• Adlington Parish Council – unanimously opposed
• All neighbouring parish and town councils – unanimously opposed
• Council for the Protection of Rural England – opposed
• Cheshire Wildlife Trust – opposed
• National Wildlife Trusts – opposed
• Local medical partnerships and NHS staff – opposed
• Farm businesses and local businesses – opposed
• Our community – opposed
The fight continues
We know this is just one stage in the wider process, and the final decision rests with the government. Whilst today was a significant victory, there's still a long way to go. There's still the nonsense Belport presented to the Parliamentary Built Environment Committee to counter, and much work ahead to ensure Adlington doesn't make it onto the final list.
But today, let's pause, breathe, and be thankful. A unanimous council decision is more than we dared hope for, and it reflects the extraordinary strength of community engagement and your willingness to stand up for what matters.
One more push – support Tim Roca's petition
Our MP, Tim Roca, is presenting a petition to Parliament before the winter recess. This is our opportunity to show the government the scale of opposition from local residents. If you haven't already signed his petition, please do so now and share it widely.
Every signature matters. Every voice counts.
Together, we've achieved something remarkable. Together, we'll keep fighting to protect our community, our environment, and our future.
Thank you for standing with us.
Ben Fletcher Supports Us
We were delighted to welcome Ben Fletcher, Conservative candidate for Cheshire and Warrington mayoral election, to Adlington yesterday.
Ben Fletcher Supports Us
We were delighted to welcome Ben Fletcher, Conservative candidate for Cheshire and Warrington mayoral election, to Adlington yesterday.
Ben met with Adlington Parish Council and Stop Adlington New Town representatives and saw first-hand the size of green belt and farming land that is up for destruction.
Ben is an advocate for old town regeneration and does not believe we need a new town in Cheshire. Instead he argues that we should build around current infrastructure, close to established train stations, and use beautiful design to make towns places for all and importantly where the young are able to buy and want to build their lives.
This sounds like a compelling argument to us and is what we hear from our close neighbours in Macclesfield who are crying out for development and spend on infrastructure, they fear they will continue to be forgotten. We hope the mayoral campaign will put a spotlight on this issue.
Shockingly there are 178 Brownfield sites in Cheshire East covering 155 hectares - why are they not being used? We plan to find out!
Stop Adlington New Town wholeheartedly supports the regeneration message - it would be a tragedy of so many proportions if our greenbelt, rich habitat and farming communities were destroyed when they were better, more environmentally sound alternatives.
Scale of proposed New Town development.
Local Perspectives from Social Media:
Adlington's Future
I have just received Belport’s letter re Adlington’s future as part of the Governments New Towns Programme. To say I feel angry, upset and sick to my stomach would be an understatement.
How on earth can anyone allow the destruction of valuable farmland to build on when we have so many vacant buildings and unused brown field sites in the country already.
14,000 houses means a town bigger than Poynton being squeezed onto our green belt and making Manchester to Macclesfield one big concrete slab.
This country needs more, not less farmland and the idea of ripping up the habitats and green spaces in and around Adlington should leave every sane person horrified. The abundance of wildlife in these fields and woods should be celebrated not destroyed.
We have deer, foxes, badgers, owls, bats, hedgehogs, amphibians, kingfishers, woodpeckers, ancient bluebell woods, the list could go on and on.
Oh and of course, the space and land to produce food for the nation.
Nothing Ever Happens in Adlington
Imagine how receiving a letter from a company you’ve never heard of to say that these beautiful fields and those beyond as far as the eye can see will be ripped up and used for 14,000-20,000 houses.
You may say another Adlington Resident snivelling about the prospect of new houses being built and interrupting their peaceful view. Afterall, some days in Adlington you can hear a pin drop. It’s hard to imagine the total change and devastation to the landscape and the knock on effect to the neighbouring areas which will be immense.
A recent article referred to the residents of Adlington as Premier League Footballers and the like. We are just people who have chosen to live in a quiet village, bringing up our families and getting on with life. It’s not swanky – we’ve got a tiny school, a pub, a post box and a tin church. But what we lack in amenities is made up by the beautiful countryside, ancient hedgerows, stunning blue bell woods and oodles of wildlife.
I feel devastated. You should too. This area is for everyone to enjoy and should remain so for the generations to come.
The Government have decided that they want to build new Towns and decided on Adlington as one of the locations. Greenbelt land/agricultural land which has been farmed by generations by the same farmers who have been told that their tenancies will not be renewed. How can that be so. Don’t we need farmers to feed the Nation
The Greenbelt land is protected by ancient laws, aren’t they? Surely, the Government can’t just change the laws to please themselves. Looks like they can. No lengthy planning process for them.
These fields are the natural habitat for many animals. I bore family and friends with pictures of the 28 deer which roam the fields and line up at the end of the garden for an apple or two. The foxes who demand food, the fat badgers, the spikey families of hedgehogs who need a little help. The woodpeckers who knock, knock, knock incessantly. The bats who put on quite a show at night. They all deserve to be left in peace.
There will be people who say we need more houses. This is true. How about regeneration of nearby Macclesfield who have lots of Brownfield land and Stockport, a once bustling Market Town. Those Towns have the infrastructure already and have been promised funding for years and years.
Is it a done deal – I really hope not.
"Trees Are Poems That The Earth Writes Upon The Sky" - Kahlil Gibran