Press Releases and Publicity

Press Releases Issued to local media by Friends of Poynton Pool

February 2023 – Press Release

FRIENDS OF POYNTON POOL STRIVING TO SAVE OVER A HECTARE OF TREES

Cheshire East Council plans to fell the trees which run along more than half a kilometre of Poynton Park

POYNTON, CHESHIRE: Residents of Poynton are taking action to prevent a proposal by Cheshire East Council to fell over half a kilometre of trees alongside the A523 boundary of Poynton Park.

The controversial proposal has been met with forceful opposition by local group Friends of Poynton Pool, who are planning an awareness raising walk on 12th February 2023. The decision to fell the trees, some of which date back to the 1700s when the landscaping around the lake was completed, has come off the back of an inspection that assesses the park’s resilience against a 1 in 10,000 year flood event (part of the 1975 Reservoirs Act).

Following pockets of flooding in recent years, residents of the town are aware of the importance of flood resilience, but after research and investigation into Poynton Park, it seems that felling the trees is actually the most environmentally-damaging but cheapest option that Cheshire East have favoured. This has naturally angered the local community, who not only have concerns aesthetically-speaking, but also when it comes to the local biodiversity around the lake.

Furthermore, it appears that Cheshire East Council have not been willing to engage with either Poynton Town Council or residents on this matter, which has led to the local group taking action. Instead of engaging, Cheshire East has chosen to instead release heavily redacted reports to Freedom Of Information requests.

Local resident and member of Friends of Poynton Pool Mike Ellison said: “The impacts of the proposal have been ill-considered and importantly have not accounted for the loss of the immense value that the trees represent. When the trees have been removed, they will not be replaced. Instead, the affected area will be maintained as grass and Cheshire East have suggested that they could plant trees six kilometres away in Millennium Wood to the south of Disley, a recently planted woodland that is already adequately stocked.”

Concerned about the approach taken by Cheshire East Council, Poynton Town Council has commissioned an independent tree survey and a valuation of the affected trees by specialist tree consultants. This valuation, which took place in January, returned a value of just under £3 million for the proposed trees.

With current concerns over climate change significantly influencing how the flood risk at Poynton Pool will be mitigated, Friends of Poynton Pool feel that the value of the trees themselves has not been adequately considered by Cheshire East. More than a hectare in area, the trees themselves contribute to flood mitigation, act as a carbon sink, and are an important link in a local habitat networks extending from Lyme Park in the east to Bramhall Park and beyond in the west.

The local community and local council are calling for Cheshire East to adopt a less environmentally destructive alternative, so that flood resilience can be managed whilst protecting the very special landscape of Poynton Pool.

July 2023 – Press Release

UPDATE ON POYNTON POOL

More than 3240 people have now signed the petition against the proposal, demonstrating the amount of opposition.

A very successful event was held by the Friends of Poynton Pool (FoPP) group at Poynton Pool on Saturday 1st July to further raise awareness about CEC’s destructive plans.

Following this, more than 200 people attended a public meeting organised by FoPP at the Poynton Royal British Legion on Monday 3rd July, with people queueing out of the door.

FoPP is keen to continue to engage with CEC and challenge them to update the data they are using, as well as identify a less intrusive and environmentally damaging alternative, whilst retaining the safety and aesthetics of the Pool prior to the submission of any planning applications.

The main organiser of the Friends of Poynton Pool Action Group is Jen Hartshorne, who says:

“The FoPP, the local community and the local Council continue to call for CEC to adopt a less environmentally destructive alternative so that flood resilience can be managed whilst protecting the very special landscape of Poynton Pool.

“The FoPP feels like red tape bureaucracy is allowing the CEC’s plans to continue, with common sense being ignored.

“Crucially, we are urging the council to conduct a formal Environmental Impact Assessment Report, and of course, ultimately, we would like them to formulate a new plan to prevent the apparent flood risk that wouldn’t cause so much damage to the area.”

It is thought that the work proposed by CEC will damage at least 80 trees from the historic tree line. The council is stating that they are only planning on removing 35 trees, but the reality is that many more will be damaged, and a huge area destroyed forever. They have also not stipulated at any point what they class as a ‘tree’ or a ‘shrub’. It isn’t just 80 trees that will be damaged, but an awful lot more environment as well.

The lack of transparency and openness displayed by CEC is incredibly frustrating and the FoPP does not understand why the CEC is not working with us or communicating with us properly. At no point do we feel like they have listened to the valid concerns and extensive environmental knowledge of the local community. The way this has been approached from day one is unacceptable. At the moment, we believe that the council is hiding behind outdated data and unrealistic reports. We are also concerned that the behaviours Cheshire East are showing mirror a number found in the recent Sheffield tree apology…

There is no evidence to say that the CEC is exploring all options when it comes to this project. The proposal that we believe is due to be submitted for planning is exactly the same as to what was presented to the public in October 2022. At no point has CEC addressed our environmental concerns – the trees are home to at least 15 red-listed species and at least 67 species with protections.

The cost of this project has more than doubled to £1.38m. And the value of the trees at £3m has not been included in the risk assessment. ‘We’ as taxpayers expect the CEC as custodians of public land to exhaust all options to reduce a spend of £1.4m when for example they are cutting over £1m from libraries which impacts the whole borough.

The Flood Study the CEC is basing its proposal on is at odds with local knowledge as to what occurs at the Pool during heavy rainfall including flooding events. It concludes that overtopping would occur for events greater than a 1 in 50 years. However, Poynton has suffered 3 serious flooding events greater than 1 in 50 in 2016 and 2019 but no flooding occurred from the Pool.

December 2023 – Press Release

IGNORANCE IS BLISS FOR CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL AS IT IGNORES PROTECTED SPECIES OF BATS FACING THE CHOP ALONGSIDE POYNTON TREES.

Poynton Pool is a reservoir in Cheshire East currently at risk of losing approximately 80 mature and healthy trees due to a planning application from Cheshire East Council.

The opportunity to object is now well underway for the planning application established by Cheshire East Council to fell mature and healthy trees at Poynton Pool and Park. With over 900 objections already registered, including David Rutley MP, it is clear that the people of Poynton and surrounding areas disagree with the Council’s proposals. Despite mass objections, and a petition reaching over 5,700 signatures, Cheshire East is continuing to ignore the risks facing residents, trees, the future of Poynton, and our species of bats that reside in the trees. If the planning proposals are granted, it will cause an increased flood risk to residents on Anglesey Drive.

Since 2022, the Friends of Poynton Pool, alongside volunteers, have been campaigning to save this local beauty spot. The petition against the proposals was submitted on 4th October 2023 but will not be debated at a full Council meeting. Instead, it has been referred to a Council sub-committee on Friday 26th January 2024. The decision on planning application 23/4152M is scheduled for the Council’s Strategic Planning Board the following Wednesday, 30th January. It is likely that papers for this meeting will be circulated in advance of the petition discussion the previous week. The oversight of this petition undermines the democratic establishment of Cheshire East Council and is a gross misrepresentation of Poynton resident’s perspective.

Moreover, the National Biodiversity Network Trust statistics on the wildlife inhabiting the area around Poynton Pool lists over 700 species including bats. Cheshire East’s planning proposal would result in the loss of mature trees housing a range of protected wildlife.

All native bat species in Britain are fully protected by national and international legislation, therefore the destruction of their habitat is a criminal offence. The Bat Conservation Trust website states:

“Mitigation and/or compensation should allow conservation status of bats to be maintained or enhanced following development. Avoidance is always the preferred form of mitigation.”

“The works must ensure that the roost be restored to its former roosting opportunities, or created to mimic the roost lost.”

Cheshire East Council’s offset mitigation scheme which proposes the planting of 27 trees in a closed area of Woodford, Stockport, and the placement of several bat boxes is by no means an adequate mitigation or compensation for the destruction of protected habitat.

Without these trees, residents will not have a place to find respite, bats will not have a place to roost or feed, our biodiversity will be altered irreparably, and our area will be negatively impacted. These trees are not a flood risk, these trees are a part of Poynton.

This area, the trees, and the wildlife all deserve more. Anyone over 18 can lodge objections before 10th January 2024.

January 2024 – Press Release

POYNTON POOL PETITION GOES TO CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL ON FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY 2024, OVER 3 MONTHS AFTER IT WAS SUBMITTED

After receiving over 5,800 signatures, the petition (established by the ‘Friends of Poynton Pool’) opposing the current spillway proposals will go to Cheshire East Council on Friday 26th January, although there are risks it may not be discussed due to Council inefficiency.

The Economy and Growth Committee are set to discuss the petition this Friday after it was presented to Cheshire East Council over 3 months ago. Despite the petition receiving mass support from residents, local business owners, Poynton Town Councillors and environmental specialists, the petition was not acknowledged throughout the objection process, nor throughout Cheshire East Council’s discussions.

The 5,800+ signatures exceed the 5% threshold on local petitions which could trigger a full Council meeting debate. Statutory guidance, issued in March 2010 for local councils, entitled “Listening to Communities: Statutory guidance on the duty to respond to petitions”, states that the petition must be acknowledged, and failure to do so contravenes statutory guidance.

This valid petition was lodged with the Council on 4th October 2023, but Cheshire East proceeded to submit their planning application 23/4152M on 3rd November 2023. After months of waiting, the petition is at risk of not being discussed with Cheshire East now stating: “it is noted that the proposal is subject to a live planning application to which the Council is a participant and therefore it may not be appropriate at this time for the Committee to consider the petition any further as this may prejudice the ongoing planning application.”

Whilst this news alone is incredibly disappointing, it would be less impactful had Cheshire East Council liaised with residents sooner to create open and meaningful dialogue. In addition, the Council’s inefficiency to process and discuss the petition before the planning application was submitted shows ill regard for the validity and magnitude of the petition.

‘Friends of Poynton Pool’ members and volunteers dedicated hours of their own time to consult with Poynton residents and gain these signatures, in an effort to ensure that everyone was aware of the proposals and were able to voice their concerns. With over 5,800 signatures on the petition and over 1,700 objections to the planning proposal, local opinions are clear.

Although Cheshire East Council have a legal obligation to ensure that the reservoir is safe, numerous other proposals would include less risk to wildlife and would reduce the loss of our mature and healthy trees.

The petition calls for:

Cheshire East Council to review the Poynton Reservoir Flood Study (2019)
the most environmentally friendly identified solutions to be employed, with the objective of causing minimal disruption to the landscape, the ecology and the public enjoyment of the park
any cost/benefit analysis of the project includes both a capital asset value for amenity trees to account for the loss of amenity, and the DEFRA biodiversity offsetting metric to calculate a biodiversity net gain resulting from the project
any subsequent mitigation planting is within the town boundaries

Following from the Economy and Growth Committee meeting, the proposals will then be considered by the Strategic Planning Board at the end of February, although this date may change. In the meantime, if you would like to assist with the campaign to save our trees, please email friendsofpoyntonpool@gmail.com.

January 2024 – Press Release

IGNORANCE IS BLISS FOR CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL AS IT IGNORES PROTECTED SPECIES OF BATS FACING THE CHOP ALONGSIDE POYNTON TREES.

Poynton Pool is a reservoir in Cheshire East currently at risk of losing approximately 80 mature and healthy trees due to a planning application from Cheshire East Council.

“Mitigation and/or compensation should allow conservation status of bats to be maintained or enhanced following development. Avoidance is always the preferred form of mitigation.”

“The works must ensure that the roost be restored to its former roosting opportunities, or created to mimic the roost lost.”

This area, the trees, and the wildlife all deserve more. Anyone over 18 can lodge objections before 10th January 2024.

March 2024 – Press Release

FRIENDS OF POYNTON POOL SET TO BUST THE MYTHS SURROUNDING CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL’S CONTROVERSIAL PLANS

A community group fighting for a more environmentally friendly solution for planned spillway works at Poynton Park and Pool has launched a social media crusade highlighting inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the proposal.

The Friends of Poynton Pool (FoPP) is challenging a planning application that will see over 31 trees felled and numerous others seriously affected at the picturesque pool popular with locals and visitors alike, if it is approved by Cheshire East Council (CEC) when it goes to Planning Committee on 24th April.

The group has launched a myth busting campaign debunking numerous facts and figures used in the application, including the number of trees impacted, the cost, the impact on the landscape and its biodiversity, and the data used to justify the plan.

FoPP Chair Mike Ellison says: “One of the myths we are debunking is that the Friends of Poynton Pool is against any safety proposals for the pool, which is not accurate.

“First and foremost, our aim is to protect the pool’s trees, the embankment and wildlife by trying to ensure the most environmentally friendly solutions are carried out should any works be required.

“Cheshire East Council has not listened to public opinion – 5,800 people, which is almost half of Poynton’s electorate – have signed a petition opposing the plan, while more than 1,700 people put pen to paper to make their objections heard.

“We want Cheshire East Council to put a halt to what amounts to environmental vandalism in the planning application as it now stands, and to defer a decision so a more environmentally friendly solution that delivers the required safety can be found.

“Instead of ignoring us, and riding roughshod over public opinion, we are calling on Cheshire East Council to do the responsible thing and engage with us.”

The campaign running on Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter and the Friends of Poynton Pool website: https://poyntonpool.org/myth-busters/

CEC originally went out to public consultation with the controversial plans for flood mitigation works at the local beauty spot in autumn 2022. The proposals were strongly opposed with over 1,200 responses from members of the public.

The main issues questioned whether the works were needed, raised concerns about the environmental and visual impact of the loss of trees, and that other solutions should be considered.

The cost of the scheme was also a factor with many observations pointing out the money could be better spent elsewhere.

There has been significant opposition from local residents, Poynton Town Council, David Rutley MP and CEC’s own Tree and Nature Conservation Officers. Despite this Cheshire East’s plans, which remain virtually unchanged and cost over £1.4m, will be determined on 24th April 2024.

April 2024 – Press Release

LOCALS OPPOSING CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL’S PLANNING APPLICATION PRODUCE ALTERNATIVE SPILLWAY PROPOSALS IN ATTEMPT TO SAVE TREES AT 250 YEAR OLD PARK.

The Friends of Poynton Pool (“FoPP”), which is opposing a planning application that could potentially see over 31 trees felled and numerous others significantly impacted as part of planned spillway works, is going public with alternative proposals to the scheme.

The campaign group is fighting for a more environmentally friendly solution for the planned improvements being proposed by Cheshire East Council (CEC), due to go to Planning Committee on 24th April.

Ahead of that meeting, FoPP will be revealing its alternative proposals and answering any questions at a public gathering at Poynton British Legion on Thursday 18th April (6.30pm for 7pm start).

The group will also be sharing its 13-part, myth-busting campaign, https://poyntonpool.org/myth-busters/, originally launched on social media debunking numerous facts and figures used in the planning application, including:

The number of trees impacted.

The projected costs.
The impact on the landscape and its biodiversity.
The data used to justify the plan.

FoPP Chair, Mike Ellison, says:

“Instead of ignoring us, and riding roughshod over public opinion, we are calling on Cheshire East Council to do the responsible thing and engage with us.”

The main issues questioned whether the works were needed, raised concerns about the environmental and visual impact of the loss of trees, and that other solutions should be considered.

The cost of the scheme was also a factor with many observations pointing out the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Despite over 1,700 objections lodged from local residents, Poynton Town Council, David Rutley MP and CEC’s own Tree and Nature Conservation Officers, Cheshire East’s plans, which remain virtually unchanged and cost over £1.4m, will be determined on 24th April.

Notes:
You are invited to send a reporter and/or camera crew to the event:
Where: Poynton British Legion, Georges Road West, Poynton, SK12 1JY
When: Thursday 18th April, 6.30pm for 7pm start.
Who: Interviews will be available with:

(contacts provided to the media)

April 2024 – Press Release

OUTRAGE OVER FLAWED POYNTON POOL TREE FELLING PLAN; CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL UNDER SCRUTINY AS ‘BRUTAL’ AND ‘SIGNIFICANTLY HARMFUL’ PLANS ANNOUNCED

Campaigners have condemned a decision by Cheshire East Council (“CEC”) to recommend approval for a spillway improvement scheme at Poynton Pool that will see 78 trees felled and countless others impacted – a move described by the Council’s own planning officer as ‘brutal’ and ‘significantly harmful’.

The application is due to be heard at the Council’s Strategic Planning Board on Wednesday 24th April at Macclesfield Town Hall, when members of Friends of Poynton Pool (“FoPP”) and Poynton councillors will speak at the meeting to object to these proposals.

The decision has dismayed FoPP, which is fighting for a more environmentally friendly solution for the plan to offset flooding fears at the popular beauty spot.

The group has produced two alternative schemes of its own, drawn up by a civil engineer and a civil and structural designer and shared at a public meeting. Both have been sent to CEC with a covering email but have not had a response.

Despite the planning officer stating in his report that there are no possible design alternatives. The argument from FoPP is that there are alternatives; they believe that they have provided three viable options, two of which are not referred to in the planning officer’s report.

FoPP Chair, Mike Ellison, an arboriculturist, says:

“Our view is the flood study is flawed. The application should be deferred to allow the flood study to be reviewed and the inflow and outflow of the pool measured so a solution can be designed to mitigate a measured rather than imagined risk.

“We have worked tirelessly to try and find better solutions to the current proposal, which amounts to widescale environmental vandalism, but have been ignored by Cheshire East Council every step of the way.

Yet, despite the Council openly acknowledging financial difficulties that threaten the village’s tip, leisure centre and the introduction of car parking charges, it wants to proceed with a plan that will cost over £1.4m to implement and more to maintain.

Our alternative proposals mean just a single remnant beech stump will need to be removed along with some nearby minor vegetation. Most importantly, we anticipate that no further mature trees will be affected, and a costly landscape maintenance regime won’t be necessary.”

The scheme going to the planning board next week sees the number of trees felled increase from 31 to 78, along with two 40m sections of hawthorn hedgerow, while a further 49 trees and 10 groups of trees are also impacted.

In a report to the board, CEC’s planning officer states: “The proposal results in a significant loss of trees. The loss of these trees is significantly harmful to the amenity of the local area and the non-designated heritage assets of Poynton Pool and Poynton Park.”

The report also states: “…The identified harm is considered to be outweighed by the need for the proposal and the lack of any viable alternatives in this case.”

FoPP has also instructed a firm of solicitors recognised as one of the best in the field of planning and public law, who have written to CEC saying it has not consulted properly over the planned spillway works and asking for more time to allow for responses. A move which has so far been ignored.

The letter points to a series of omissions from CEC’s planning portal saying the Council has failed to give consultees sufficient information to enable them to make a proper response to the proposals as they have evolved, and therefore failed to adequately consult.

It adds: “We would urge the Council to review the enclosed schedule of omissions and its Portal without delay and rectify the errors and gaps as a matter of urgency. Consultees, FoPP included, should then be given sufficient time to peruse the additional documents and make further submissions, if appropriate or necessary.”

Since the letter was sent, another arboricultural report from CEC’s technical advisors, Jacobs, has been added to the planning portal.

And over the past six weeks, FoPP has conducted a social media myth busting campaign debunking numerous facts and figures used in the application, including the number of trees impacted, the cost, the impact on the landscape and its biodiversity, and the data used to justify the plan.

The main issues questioned whether the works were needed, raised concerns about the environmental and visual impact of the loss of trees, and that other solutions should be considered.

The cost of the scheme was also a factor with many observations pointing out the money could be better spent elsewhere.

April 2024 – Press Release

RESIDENTS IN LAST CHANCE TO STOP CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL DESTROYING TREES IN POYNTON PARK DATING BACK TO 1700’S

Residents are to gather at Macclesfield Town Hall to hear the final decision after years of campaigning and nearly 6,000 signatures opposing proposals to fell 78 trees (with a further 41 at risk of dying) at a local beauty spot.

WHERE: Macclesfield Town Hall

WHEN: Wednesday 24 April, 9.00am

Community Action Group, Friends of Poynton Pool, has battled for two years to engage the Cheshire East Council in dialogue regarding the highly controversial plans to overcome perceived flood risk at Poynton pool, to no avail. The group has been told it has just two and a half minutes to address the council about the matter.

“We don’t want to be victims to yet another scandal involving a council intent on destroying trees and vegetation for no good reason. This follows Sheffield council which issued a grovelling apology for its actions felling healthy trees and a Judicial Review taking place in Plymouth for similarly incomprehensible actions,”

Gwenda Mayers , Vice – Chairman of Friends of Poynton Pool commented.

August 2024 – Press Release

FRIENDS OF POYNTON POOL – We’re still standing!

Campaigners fighting to stop 78 trees being felled, 80 metres of hedgerow removed, and 49 trees impacted at Poynton Pool have reignited their crowdfunding appeal to raise funds for a judicial review if necessary.

Planned spillway improvements at the local beauty spot are currently on hold after Cheshire East Council’s (CEC) Strategic Planning Board deferred a decision when the scheme came before it for approval back in April 2024. This, it was stated at the meeting, was to allow for engagement with third parties, such as Friends of Poynton Pool and Poynton Town Council, and for 23 possible inaccuracies in the original submission to be looked at again.

Now Friends of Poynton Pool (FoPP) is re-focusing its fundraising campaign in the event a legal challenge becomes necessary should CEC planners decide to press ahead with the scheme – a move that could cost FoPP more than £50,000.

FoPP Chair, Mike Ellison, an arboriculturist, says: “Instigating a judicial review is a timeconsuming, complex and ultimately expensive course of action that could culminate in a day in the High Court with barristers arguing our case before a judge.

“Overall, you would normally pay in the region of £25-30,000+VAT to get to the end of a final hearing, in terms of your own legal fees.

“To lodge a claim at court can take anywhere from £5,000-£8,000+VAT depending on the complexity of the case, or the number of witness or statements. There is also the possibility that we would have to pay some of the council’s costs should we lose.

“We are concerned that, despite our repeated representations, there are still many potential inaccuracies that CEC does not appear to be investigating in respect of this planning application.

“We also see that we, the community, continue to be held at arms-length. Strategic Planning Board has deferred the application for collaboration and engagement with us and Poynton Town Council, yet four months have passed and a meeting still hasn’t taken place.

“A judicial review is a daunting prospect, and not a step we want to take. But if CEC approves this application we’re hoping the people of Poynton, and surrounding areas, will stand with us in opposing the threat to our landscape and wildlife habitats in favour of a more environmentally friendly solution.”

FoPP will have a high profile stall at Poynton’s annual show on Saturday, 24^th August, and members will be handing out flyers publicising the fundraising campaign.

In another important development, the pool is to be surveyed twice – firstly on 27^th and 28^th of August when the Environment Agency has instigated a bathymetric survey, which will see the water volume measured by suitably qualified engineers. That will be followed in September by a Section 10 inspection by an independent Reservoirs Engineer, who will inspect the pool and submit a report of the findings. The Section 10 refers to the Reservoirs Act of 1975 that says any ‘high risk reservoir’ must be inspected no more than 10 years from the last inspection.

Mr Ellison adds: “Ultimately, the bathymetric survey and the S10 inspection have the potential to have material implications for the current planning application and its impact on the environment of Poynton Park.”

Information about the surveys and more updates about the pool are featured in FoPP’s latest social media campaign, called ‘We’re still standing’, which fills the information void since the application was first deferred. You can read the updates on the FoPP website here https://poyntonpool.org/were-still-standing/.

More about the Poynton Pool spillway improvement planning application

The main issues questioned whether the works were needed, raised concerns about the environmental and visual impact of the loss of trees, and that other solutions should be considered.

The £1.4m cost of the scheme was also a factor with many observations pointing out the money could be better spent elsewhere in the village, which has since had its tip closed as a cost-cutting measure, with no indication that it will re-open.

Despite significant opposition from local residents, Poynton Town Council, then-MP

David Rutley and even CEC’s own Tree and Nature Conservation Officers, Cheshire East pressed ahead with the plan until it was deferred in April. Since then, the town’s new MP, Tim Roca, has written to CEC planners pointing out the process so far had ‘eroded public confidence’ and calling for a more satisfactory solution.

FoPP formed in 2023 to challenge the spillway plans and campaigns to save the trees. It has since advanced professionally designed proposals for alternative, more environmentally friendly schemes, which have been knocked back by CEC planners.

Earlier this year, FoPP engaged leading environmental law firm Richard Buxton Solicitors, recognised as one of the best in the field of planning and public law, to support its challenge. Speaking at the time, Mr Ellison said: “Cheshire East Council has not listened to public opinion – 5,800 people, which is almost half of Poynton’s electorate – have signed a petition opposing the plan, while more than 1,700 people put pen to paper to make their objections heard.”

A new date for the proposal to go before CEC’s Strategic Planning Board will not be set at least until the Section 10 inspection has been completed and reported on.

November 2024 – Press Release

Cheshire East Council’s £1.4m planning application scheme that will fell mature and healthy trees at historic Poynton Park and Pool remains in abeyance

Findings of a survey into the volume of water at Poynton Pool will be made public on 1^st December, much later than first anticipated.

The date has been revealed by the Environment Agency’s national reservoir safety team following a delay in receiving permission from Cheshire East Council (CEC), the undertaker, to upload the information for public access.

The survey, known as a bathymetric survey, could have a significant impact on Friends of Poynton Pool’s (FoPP) campaign to save the trees threatened by CEC’s planned spillway improvement scheme.

The pool’s volume is a key consideration in the risk assessment for Poynton Pool, with local campaigners pouring scorn on the council’s assertion that the pool has a capacity of 130,000m³. When questioned about this figure at the Council’s Strategic Planning Board in April 2024, the council’s reservoir specialist stated he had done a “rough check”.

From historical maps and 82 depth measurements surveyed by FoPP 18 months ago, it was estimated the pool’s volume was in the region of 61,500m³, less than half the council’s figure.

FoPP, which is challenging a CEC planning application that will potentially see 78 trees felled and numerous others cut back as part of a spillway improvement scheme at the pool, had been informed that the outcome would be available early November following the survey in late August.

FoPP spokesperson Stewart Tennant, a chartered engineer, says: “The result of the bathymetric survey will be very revealing and could prove quite telling.

“Given that both the water level and depth are significantly reduced, a lower water volume than first thought and other material inaccuracies including the fact that the pool’s outflow pipe is almost 50% larger than stated in the 2024 Poynton Pool Initial Options Report redacted^[1], any risk from a catastrophic breach of the dam at Poynton Pool, which lies at the heart of this proposal, would be greatly reduced.

“That would support our stance that any spillway improvement works need to be based on accurate survey data and don’t have to be either as brutal or extensively draconian as the current proposals are at the moment.”

The application as it stands is currently in abeyance after CEC’s Strategic Planning Board voted in April 2024 to defer the final decision to correct any inaccuracies in submitted data to ensure accurate flood modelling. Councillors also voted in favour of CEC engaging with FoPP to consider alternative proposals.

At the time, FoPP had hoped, as intended by the Strategic Planning Board, the decision would lead to a meeting between planners, FoPP and other objectors, such as Poynton Town Council, but over six months later nothing has materialised, despite repeated requests.

In the current vacuum, FoPP has consolidated three sets of email exchanges between itself, CEC and their agents into threads to illustrate the stalemate.

Mike Ellison, FoPP Chair, says: “These e-mail threads illustrate the incredibly frustrating dialogue we are currently having to wade through. They make interesting reading, and we think they show a subliminal resistance being shown towards us.”

The threads are available to read on the FoPP website here Threads – Friends of Poynton Pool.

The CEC planning application currently states it will go before CEC’s Strategic Planning Board for a final decision in January 2025, even though a planned further inspection, known as a Section 10, has yet to be completed and reported on.

In another development, the campaign group is establishing itself as a limited company, Friends of Poynton Pool Limited, to limit any personal liabilities should the issue result in a judicial review that would incur legal costs amounting to as much as £50,000.

Mike Ellison: “Instigating a judicial review is a time-consuming, complex and ultimately expensive course of action that could culminate in a day in the High Court with barristers arguing our case before a judge.

“Overall, you would normally pay in the region of £25-30,000+VAT to get to the end of a final hearing, in terms of your own legal fees.

The main issues questioned whether the works were needed, raised concerns about the environmental and visual impact of the loss of trees, and that other solutions should be considered.

The estimated £1.4m cost of the scheme was also a factor with many observations pointing out the money could be better spent elsewhere in the village, which has since had its tip permanently closed.

Despite significant opposition from local residents, Poynton Town Council, then-MP David Rutley and even CEC’s own Tree and Nature Conservation Officers, the council pressed ahead with the plan until it was deferred in April.

Since then, the town’s new MP, Tim Roca, has written to CEC planners pointing out the process so far had ‘eroded public confidence’ and calling for a more satisfactory solution.

FoPP formed to challenge the spillway plans and campaigns to save the trees. It has since made proposals for alternative, more environmentally friendly schemes, which have been knocked back by CEC planners.

Earlier this year, FoPP engaged leading environmental law firm Richard Buxton Solicitors, recognised as one of the best in the field of planning and public law, to support its challenge.

[1] Poynton Spillway Upgrade – initial options report

June 2025 – Press Release

Cheshire East Council confirm alternative scheme for Poynton Pool viable

Campaigners fighting to save 78 trees from being felled, and countless others cut back at a Poynton beauty spot, are hopeful of a breakthrough in their protracted dealings with Cheshire East Council (CEC).

Community group Friends of Poynton Pool Ltd (FoPP) has been told its latest alternative scheme for spillway improvements at Poynton Pool is viable – and that it could be developed into a detailed design that meets the requirements of the Reservoir Act.

Described as a conventional engineering solution, FoPP’s alternative scheme is to increase overflow capacity with a new 45-metre-long weir and emergency water drawdown facility alongside the existing weir.

Sections of the crest next would be raised using material from the spillway excavation.

The crest raising would meander and follow the line of the existing footpath by London Road North to avoid the trees, with simple marker posts to enable inspection and maintenance.

The scheme also includes an optional new culvert under the main road to avoid overspill during extreme flood events.

FoPP Chairman Mike Ellison, an arboriculturist, who has previously described CEC’s spillway plans as ‘environmental vandalism’, says: “Our spillway solution has a 100year design life with minimal inspection and maintenance required.

“This alternative option will only require the removal of a single remnant beech tree stump and some adjacent minor vegetation.

“It also means the council will no longer be required to provide a costly carbon offset mitigation planting scheme at Walnut Tree Farm in Woodford.”

The fight to save the trees has been raging for over three years since CEC first unveiled its spillway improvement scheme.

The plan was eventually deferred by councillors on CEC’s Strategic Planning Board (SPB) in April 2024 to allow for five considerations:

The accuracy of data surrounding the pool’s water levels.  The impact of removing trees on the pool’s embankment.
To instigate a further independent review, if necessary.
To review the location of the proposed mitigation and consideration of any alternatives.
To encourage engagement with third parties to consider and/or explain alternatives.

The potential breakthrough came in a meeting between FoPP, Poynton Town Council (PTC) and CEC representatives earlier this month – the third one of this year – after waiting 10 months for CEC to engage despite the SPB’s recommendation and repeated requests for meetings by FoPP and PTC.

Meanwhile, a new flood study is to be carried out in August using accurate data following a bathymetric survey undertaken in August 2024, which found the pool’s volume of water and silt was 75,598 cubic meters – 42% less than the 130,000m³estimated by CEC in its planning application.

FoPP hopes’ this new flood study will inform the risk of dam failure and the requirements for a final design for works at the pool. A statutory S10 inspection of the pool in December 2024 requires designs finalised by December 2025 and work to be completed by December 2026.

PTC and FoPP have also asked CEC to undertake a geotechnical site investigation of the embankment to determine its composition.

This was a recommendation of the original flood study carried out in 2019, which stated: “The level of the clay core is unknown. It is recommended that this should be established along with other geotechnical properties of the embankment, in order to quantify the risk of seepage through the dam”.

Stewart Tennant, a chartered engineer and FoPP’s technical advisor, says: “The cost of this exercise is relatively modest, and the investigations, which would only take two days, would provide a very quick classification of the soils that form the embankment.

“These would then enable informed design decisions to be taken, and the options appraised in a more quantitative manner than is presently the case.”

Objectors questioned whether the works were needed, raised concerns about the environmental and visual impact of the loss of trees, and that other solutions should be considered. The cost of the scheme was also a factor with many observations pointing out the money could be better spent elsewhere.

August 2025 – Press Release

Woodland at Poynton Pool valued at £4 Million Still Under Threat as Cheshire East Council Pushes Ahead with Controversial Spillway Plans

Campaigners fighting to save cherished woodland surrounding Poynton Pool and Park have been told Cheshire East Council (the Council) is about to press ahead with plans that will see trees recently valued at £4m^[1] felled, cut back and irreparably damaged by construction work.

Despite recent meetings between the Council and campaign group Friends of Poynton Pool (FoPP), during which FoPP was told its latest alternative scheme for spillway improvements was viable – a stalemate still exists. The Council as applicant has advised it is going to be resubmitting proposals to planning in the next few weeks despite widespread public opposition and the availability of less destructive alternatives.

Now FoPP is calling on the public to step up opposition to the scheme by writing to the Council leader, Cllr Nick Mannion – Nick.mannion@cheshireeast.gov.uk – to raise their concerns.

Poynton Pool, classified as a reservoir, falls under the statutory oversight of the Council, which is required to undertake safety improvements following a September 2024 inspection. The latest safety inspection mandated:

A new flood study by February 2025.
Using the outcome of the flood study, designs for improvement works to be completed by December 2025.
Construction of the improvement works completed by December 2026.

Despite the statutory deadlines, the Council has advised FoPP that the revised flood study, which identifies potential risks and informs the design of improvement works, will not be completed until the end of August 2025, six months past the February deadline.

When the Council’s plans were previously presented to its Strategic Planning Board (SPB) in April 2024, they were met with a 5,800 signature petition, 1,700 objections and fierce criticism. The proposal breached 20 local plan policies, with the Council’s planning officer’s report acknowledging the severity of the environmental impact, stating:

“The creation of two 40m wide gaps within this prominent roadside woodland that forms the boundary to Poynton Park will be a brutal intervention, and unequivocally harmful. Substantial weight is given to this harm.”

Despite this, the application was recommended for approval due to perceived risk from the dam and a lack of viable alternatives. The SPB deferred the decision, requesting further investigation into:

Accuracy in the submitted data to ensure modelling is accurate^[2]
Review condition and risks associated with the dam wall and the impact of tree removal on the embankment^[3]
Engagement with third parties to explore other options
Possibility of an independent review
Location and feasibility of mitigation alternatives

Viable alternatives acknowledged — but not adopted

Mike Ellison, Chairman of Friends of Poynton Pool Ltd (FoPP), has expressed frustration at the Council’s continued pursuit of the original plan:

“Unfortunately, the Council waited 10 months to meet with FoPP despite repeated requests. The Council and its engineers have now acknowledged that there are viable alternative solutions for Poynton Pool. Although our low-cost solution to raising the crest of the dam was summarily dismissed by the Council’s engineer, our proposal for an enlarged overflow has been accepted by all parties, with acknowledgement that increasing the embankment height does not require a kerb or hard engineered feature, which would remove and damage trees.

We estimate the cost of the Council’s proposed scheme could be more than £5.5m at today’s prices, taking account of all relevant costs such as the CAVAT value of the trees and the land retained at Walnut Tree Farm for mitigation planting. This is more than 5 times the cost of our scheme if the Council undertook the stage 1 works to enlarge the overflow – which would meet the statutory requirements. Stage 2 works to add a new culvert under the road could be undertaken later.

We are also concerned that the Council has not yet carried out a geotechnical investigation. They have advised that a report will not be available for at least 4 months, following a procurement process. Without this information the geotechnical risk of any proposal cannot be evaluated either technically or financially.”

FoPP’s alternative would preserve the woodland, removing only a single remnant tree stump and minor trees, and not breaching any local plan policies.

A recent statement from the Council’s project team suggests that despite ongoing dialogue, consensus may not be reached:

“We have reached the point where it may not be possible for the interested parties to reach agreement on an amicable solution… This may unfortunately be one of those occasions where we need to allow the various statutory processes to progress and determine the outcome.”

Community Calls for Preservation

The Friends of Poynton Pool and local residents continue to advocate for a solution that balances safety with environmental stewardship. With the Council’s own engineers acknowledging the feasibility of FoPP’s proposal, campaigners urge the Council to reconsider before irreversible damage is done to one of Cheshire’s most beloved natural assets.

[1] Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees (CAVAT) based on Morris Tree Survey Report for Poynton Town Council 2023 upli ed to 2025 value

[2] A bathymetric survey in August 2024 confirmed the volume of silt plus water at Poynton Pool was 75,598m³ not 130,000m³ as previously stated by CEC

[3] A Statutory Section 10 report published in December 2024 advised “Care is required when removing large trees from embankment dams as the increase in moisture content may cause instability of the embankment and may create leakage paths as the root system decays.”