In a victory for local residents, plans to remove trees from the picturesque Poynton Pool in Cheshire have been rejected by Cheshire East Council. The council’s proposal, which cited safety concerns as the reason for the tree removal, was met with strong opposition from the community.
The decision came after a letter from the Housing Secretary, Steve Reed, was received by the council on Thursday evening. The letter stated that the council could not grant planning permission for the scheme without the Secretary’s authorisation. This prompted the council’s planning officer, Paul Wakefield, to clarify that the letter did not preclude the council from making its own decision on the planning application.
The council’s head of planning, David Malcolm, acknowledged the unique nature of the Housing Secretary’s involvement, stating that it was the first time in 30 years he had heard of the Secretary of State referring to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). However, he noted that a “holding direction” from the government was not an unusual occurrence.
Local Labour MP for Macclesfield, Tim Roca, had previously written to the government requesting a TPO on the site. Councillors Hayley Whittaker and Mike Sewart, representing Poynton, spoke out against the council’s plans, describing them as “overengineered” and “very damaging.”
Representatives from the Friends of Poynton Pool, who had proposed an alternative plan for the site, also addressed the council, urging them to defer their decision. However, the council’s Alan Brown argued that the alternative proposals were “disproportionate” and asked councillors to approve the local authority’s plan.
In the end, the application was rejected, with five councillors voting against the plan and four in favour. Mike Ellison, chair of the Friends of Poynton Pool, welcomed the decision, stating that it was “unfortunate that some of the information councillors were asking for wasn’t provided,” but that it was “open for further discussion.”
The Poynton Pool, which dates back to 1750, has been a cherished part of the local community, and the decision to reject the tree removal proposal is seen as a victory for the residents who campaigned to protect the site’s natural beauty.