CHESHIRE EAST PLANNING APPLICATION FOR POYNTON POOL
The planning application reference 23/4152M is HERE.
Poynton pool is classed as a reservoir. The dam is the earth embankment that sits between the edge of the pool and the B5092 London Road North. This area is also a Site of Biological Importance and a Habitat of Principle Importance.
There is a 1 in 250 year risk of dam failure. The council’s proposed flood mitigation works along the dam will cost £1.38 million plus a further £3 to 5 million including the valuation of the trees.
The proposal will completely clear two 40 metre areas of trees and partially clear the trees along a further 400 metre stretch. Some of these trees are hundreds of years old. The trees will be replaced in Woodford, outside of Poynton and Cheshire East on land that is not accessible by the public.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
Our Campaign
2019
Poynton pool is classed as a reservoir. The dam is the earth embankment that sits between the edge of the pool and the B5092 London Road North (formerly the A523). This area is a Site of Biological Importance and a Habitat of Principle Importance.
Cheshire East Council (CEC) commissioned a reservoir flood study from Jacobs in 2019, which is a requirement of the 1975 Reservoirs Act as the owners of the reservoir. This inspection estimated a 1:10,000 year risk of dam failure from a 2 square km catchment area.
2022
Back in October 2022, CEC engaged in a public ‘consultation’ to outline proposed works to mitigate the dam failure risk. This ‘consultation’ simply involved a presentation of the planned works . Over 200 residents attended the consultation and challenged the heavy-handed flood resilience plans. Many very valid and technical questions were raised by residents, a number of which still remain unanswered.
Friends of Poynton Pool (FoPP) was set up as a community group with a formal constitution.
The ‘improvement’ works would affect close to 100 trees and since the proposals were announced, FoPP has been campaigning to highlight the impact the removal of the trees and shrubland would have on the surrounding area and wildlife (including over 67 protected species).
2023
In March 2023 CEC confirmed that an Environmental Impact Assessment would not be undertaken. Poynton Town Council (PTC) and FoPP do not agree with this decision given the work size area, the logistics outlined and the environmental impact these works will undoubtedly have. CEC say that their planned mitigation, which involves planting 27 trees in Stockport (out of area – different borough) with no public access will cover any environmental impact. However, the planning application for the mitigation planting in Stockport was withdrawn in January ‘24. Consequently, FoPP are currently unclear what the mitigation planting plan is because Stockport Metropolitan District Council say that planning would be required.
Whilst FoPP appreciate that some works need to be carried out in order to raise the pool dam to the required standard, we question the disproportionately negative impact of the proposal, which appears to be based on ‘worst case scenario’ at every stage of investigation and formulation. For example, CEC state that a flood would affect around 3,500 people and lead to the loss of around 2 lives causing property damage of £79m. However, Jacobs own flood modelling software shows 75 to 275 people affected with between 0.13 and 0.67 lives lost and property damage of £.1.487m.
In early 2023 we worked with experts in their field to produce reports, including the following:
- An aboricultural report which places the value of the trees at risk between £3-5m. This value is not included in the Jacobs cost analysis.
- A report from well respected Professor David Ball, highlights significant errors in the report on which the scheme is based
- Mark Buttle, CEng MCIWEM, interrogated the Flood Report provided by Jacobs to CEC and wrote an open response
FoPP have tried to engage with CEC; spoken at 2 full council meetings (June 23 and January 24), and held a further 2 closed meetings with them. Whilst we’ve been supposedly listened to, none of our points have been taken on board or acted upon. We always receive the same stock responses that it is mandatory for the work to be done rather than responses to the specific questions we’ve asked or the points we’ve made. David Rutley MP has also tried to engage with CEC .
More recently (Sept 23) a meeting was held with Jacobs, Alan Brown, CEC, PTC FoPP and Prof. Ball from Middx Uni. Jacobs conceded that the flood mapping was incorrect and that the risk falls into the ‘tolerable’ zone. They stated that other errors within the report would also be rectified. However, none of this has been fed into the planning application.
Over 5,700 Cheshire East residents signed a paper petition (this is different to a change.org petition we initially ran which has got nearly 5,500 signatures). The paper petition was formally submitted to CEC on 4th October 23.
Despite this, the planning application was launched by CEC in November 2023, and closed for comments on 10th January 2024 with approx. 1700 comments submitted. Within the planning application the number of trees impacted reduced to 31 and the risk level decreased.
2024
FoPP undertook a comprehensive review of all the documents related to the planning application and submitted a 52 page objection which sets out our concerns regarding a range of fundamental omissions, errors, and inconsistencies in the application. A summary of the objection can be found here.
The planning application received objections from the following:
- The Woodland Trust
- Cheshire Wildlife Trust
- CPRE The countryside charity
- Principal Nature Conservation Officer for Cheshire East council
- Environmental Planning Arboricultural Team for Cheshire East Council
16 weeks after the petition was submitted to CEC, on the 26th January ‘24 (after the planning application consultation period had a closed), the petition was presented to the Economy and Growth Committee who ‘noted’ the petition without any debate. Only after the vote which decided that this petition should simply be ‘noted’ did some councillors declare an interest in this matter.
Since the comments closed on the planning application CEC, and their contractor Jacobs, have been amending, removing and replacing documents on the planning portal without any change management. One change we’ve been able to identify is that the biodiversity net gain has increased groom 9.37% to 10.27% without any explanation. The original figure had been criticised in the Cheshire Wildlife Trust objection.
Consequently, now if an application needs to go to the planning inspectorate in the case of an appeal they won’t have all the information from start to finish to make an informed and balanced decision. FoPP did a cross check analysis on the changes that were made to the documents in the portal and requested for this document to go onto the planning portal.
On 16th April ’24 the Panning Officer’s report was made available. The officer’s report is very clear about the significant harm and damage the work will cause. The stated number of trees for removal has increased from 31 in the planning application consultation to “It has been confirmed that 78 trees and two 40m sections of Hawthorn Hedgerow will be removed as a result of the proposed development. 49 trees and 10 groups are also identified to be impacted by the proposals, largely by crown lifting over working areas or by RPA encroachment. Trees adjacent to where the works are taking place are at risk from construction activities and windthrow.”
On the same day FoPP sent a couple of alternative solutions to Cheshire East Council. Our proposed solution is a conventional reinforced concrete spillway built on the line of the existing overflow structure and culvert. It is a double-sided weir and has been designed to pass the design floods calculated by CEC’s technical advisors. There are a lot of benefits to this solution. Details can be found in this presentation that we ran through with the public on Thursday 18th April ’24.
On 19th April ’24 members of the Cheshire East Strategic Planning Board attended the west bank of Poynton Pool to do a site visit ahead of the meeting on Wednesday 24th April.
The planning application was heard by the Strategic Planning Board on Wednesday 24th April ’24 at Macclesfield Town Hall. Councillors voted 8 to 3 with no abstentions for the application to be deferred.
