Cheshire petition gathers 35,000 names in eight days

A PETITION to save local green belt land from development, started by resident of Alsager in Cheshire, has gathered more than 35,000 signatures in eight days.

Alsager resident Jo Dale has started a Care2 petition demanding that Cheshire East Council block the proposed development of a football stadium and 250 houses at Fanny’s Croft, a local green belt area.

Care2 is a community of 28 million people which stand up for variou causes.

“It shocks me to think that developers are proposing building a stadium, car park and more than 250 houses there,” said Dale. “We have no shortage of brownfield sites going derelict in and around Alsager which could be used instead.

“The sad bottom line is that green field is cheaper to buy, but it’s so short-sighted.”

Native English bluebells, a protected species, have also been reportedly spotted at Fanny’s Croft.

Campaigners belief if they can prove that bat roosts and English bluebells are at risk, there’s potential for development proposals to be blocked.

Alsager Action Group has previously said of the proposals: “Unfortunately, they have chosen the wrong location for their new venture because Fanny’s Croft is in ‘Greenbelt Land’ and building on it would be contrary to long standing planning policy and there does not appear to be any over-riding reasons for setting aside this greenbelt policy.”