Cheshire East Council has taken steps to remind the developer of their obligations to comply with the planning conditions that apply to a development near Macclesfield.

The council is aware of the concerns expressed that all planning conditions required to be met prior to any development works at the site to the north of Chelford Road, Henbury, are adhered to.

At the October meeting of full council, some local ward members expressed concerns and sought reassurance from the council that steps would be taken to ensure the planning agreements are observed.

The conditions include the requirement to submit a materials management plan to the council for approval.

The planning conditions also set out a number of requirements regarding the extraction and management of peat and this is being reviewed by the council.

The council is satisfied that any hedge cutting and tree removal, which took place in recent weeks, did not breach any planning conditions.

An erected advertisement at the site, which did not have planning consent, has been removed.

Councillor Mick Warren, Cheshire East Council chair of environment and communities, said: "We are fully aware that recent activity on this site caused some concern to local residents and we have spoken with the contractors and obtained their assurance about certain planning matters.

"We will continue to liaise with the developer to ensure that they receive any advice they require in order to avoid any conflict with the planning conditions."

Detailed planning approval was granted in the spring, following outline planning approval in 2019.

A number of planning conditions must be met before any major works on site, and Henbury locals will be pleased that the borough council has recognised this.

However, it has a delayed response to a breach that Macclesfield Nub News reported on three weeks ago.

Campaigners had claimed Bellway Homes had slashed a hedge, possibly to provide work access to the site.

A Planning Enforcement Officer for Cheshire East Council also visited on October 8 to officially cease the culling of the hedge.

And at the time Cheshire East Council said in a letter to Henbury Parish Council: "The developers have acknowledged that the works were undertaken in error."

But there was no official comment condemning the works until today, where they have concluded there was no planning breach.

This follows Labour Councillor James Barber raising the issue to the unitary authority in a meeting on behalf of Henbury residents on October 20.

Permission was only granted to build hundreds of new houses on a Chelford Road field, if they meet criteria.

This included preserving the precious 24,000 square metres of peat.

The peat has not yet been preserved, including at the time of the hedge-halving. And particularly the former is under threat with last month's premature culling of nature.

Even with COP26 going on as we speak in Glasgow as this article is published, there has been no action to save Macclesfield's natural carbon sink.

MP David Rutley has been disappointed with the communication between Bellway, councils and residents.

The Macclesfield parliamentarian had previously said preserving peat was 'a priority' for the site.

The 134 new homes are being conducted by a Newcastle-based developer, which further complicates the line of communication.

Anyone wishing to view the planning details should access Cheshire East's planning portal and enter planning references 17/4277M and 19/3097M in the search bar.

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