Social media has turned into real-life action, as a Facebook group to save the boundaries of a Macclesfield nature reserve from housing plans arranged a meeting for 200 people.

As reported on last week, a strong opposition has been given to plans for 950 homes in the South Macclesfield Development Area.

A Change.org petition entitled 'SAVE DANES MOSS' has got over 7,000 signatures, and a Facebook group of the same name held a meeting to raise awareness for the under-threat greenspace this weekend.

Previous concerns were raised such as offshore payments from parties involved within the proposed development, habitat degradation, and the removal of peat - which is a natural carbon storage.

Cheshire East Council will decide the site's future this year.

Tom Eccles of 'SAVE DAVES MOSS' said: "Peat has only been considered as an engineering problem. And it is amazing that this is on council land, given their net zero targets.

"They've not made the link between peat and climate change and we're going to be pressing on that."

However, new concerns were also highlighted from the cross-spectrum of voices, of local residents, as well as people across Cheshire East from as far as Audlem.

Macclesfield South Macclesfield Town Councillor Neil Puttick - who is one of four ward councillors who oppose the Danes Moss development, also highlighted community and extreme weather concerns relating to the site.

Cllr Neil Puttick, of Macclesfield Town Council's South Ward.

"It is great to see people from this local ward here. But also see people from as Bollington, Gawsworth and Knutsford and elsewhere, because we've just got to turn this around," Neil said.

"We have to get ahead of the developers and their decisions. This is really key as it is not just this development. In the lifetime of our children, we'll be trying to stop flooding in nearby houses let alone this development.

"We're already having to plan ahead of that, so thank you all for coming from different areas. We need to say that this peat is vital here, or anywhere in Cheshire East.

"I'll be finding more about what local people want to say, but what they are keen about is they want nature able to access."

Tom Eccles is admin of the 'SAVE DANES MOSS' Facebook group, which has over 750 members.

Cheshire East Climate Action Groups such as Sustainable Nantwich and Congleton Climate Action Group also showed their support in attending, a wider community spirit which Cllr Puttick also commended.

'SAVE DANES MOSS' campaigner Gordon asked supporters to contact Cheshire East Council for a full environmental impact assessment, which will show the biodiversity of the under-threat site.

"As a council tax payer I think they would be money well spent," he said.

Mr Eccles added: "The council says there is a 2.3 metre average depth of peat on the proposed site, which is 80,000 tonnes of carbon.

Campaigner and Macclesfield resident Ruth posing with a peat-themed tote bag.

"If all the peat dried out and turned into carbon dioxide, we estimate it as 250,000 tonnes of co2 equivalent that could be released into the atmosphere.

"To give you an idea of how much that is, that is more than ten per cent of the annual CO2 emissions for the whole borough of Cheshire East.

"It is not all going to go up at once, but there are huge amounts of carbon under here and any arguments from the council on the lines of 'peat is dead, moss is dead we can build on it' are really flawed."

Other concerns highlighted included children playing on the fields that could soon be in danger by the proposed intersecting link road.

Ian Coppack with some peat.

But it wasn't all negative. Ex-Macclesfield ranger Ian Coppack believed Cheshire East Council could change the controversial plans into a positive.

"One of the main things I've think they've [Cheshire East Council] missed is that they could turn this into a massive PR success for them," Ian said.

"It could become a wonderful country park that people from further afar would want to visit, and it could be done very easily.

"They could expend the Site of Special Scientific Interest status and stop this being a PR disaster for them."

Macclesfield: Peat is the brown soil you can see in this picture of the site. It is a natural carbon sink.

Mr Coppack - who we have done an article about for Macclesfield Nub News - has used his personal social media to inform people beyond Macclesfield about Danes Moss.

"It is great to have Cheshire East's Environment and Climate Change Champion Cllr Quentin Abel supporting us but unfortunately not a lot of the councillors understand how the environment works. We're here to communicate to them how important this is," added Ian.

"I have used my TikTok account to raise awareness of the site, and I will be doing it in the future. It has got a lot of the next generation on it, and kids today will be here in the year 2100, where they're expecting the climate to be four degrees warmer than today.

"They've got a lot to cope with, we won't be here to enjoy it but they will. So we've got to look after spaces like this."

The site is popular with dog walkers, and was at Sunday afternoon's meeting.

Developers TG Limited and Cheshire East Council were contacted for comment.

Last week, Cheshire East Council said ''The majority of the development land is under the ownership of a private developer and therefore outside the council's control. Much of the site is underlain by peat and it is recognised that members of the local community may have questions."

Speaking at Sunday afternoon's gathering, Independent Councillor Quentin Abel rallied the public to let Cheshire East Council know about their opinions.

"We need to look at the world with new eyes. We've got a new set of circumstances. Previous behaviours we need to deal with, and look at things afresh," he said.

Peatlands are the largest natural terrestrial carbon store. They store more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined according to the IUCN.

"I would recommend to you that actually your voices really do count.

"And whether it is members or officers of Cheshire East Council, they actually do listen and public opinion is a major driver.

"The more forceful you are and the more you care about is, the more chance there is about doing something for the best possible future. It is surely about all our futures and we've got to do things to make a better place."

Elsewhere at the 2pm walk around Danes Moss, a campaigner suggested a presence on the high street, alongside their frequent campaigning on social media. Also, Cheshire East Labour Party would also released the following statement for the event:

"We are committed to a greener and healthier, place to live for all, and the impact upon the environment and the potential damage to the peatland and wildlife at Danes Moss SSSI is of great concern," they said.

"Therefore, we demand that up-to-date evidence regarding the assertions that the peat which underlays much of the SMDA is 'dead', and is thus emitting carbon.

"It is also very clear that this development would have not received outline planning permission today given the much-strengthened environmental protection policies introduced by the current Labour-led administration at Cheshire East Council since May 2019.

"Another major concern is the proposed new 'relief' road that joins Moss Lane at a new roundabout opposite Moorhill Road.

"Moss Lane is already at full capacity for the whole of its length, and more traffic will create congestion and air quality issues. Major pre-development improvements to the junctions at both ends would be required if the proposal goes ahead, especially now the football club is generating more vehicle movements seven days a week and into the evenings.

"We also have questions about the proposed additional retail unit(s) and their impact on our struggling town centre and the existing shops at Thornton Square, Moss Lane and London Road.

"Therefore, the Macclesfield Labour Party has formally called upon Cheshire East Council to work with Officers to stop this unacceptable development." The Macclesfield South Labour councillors have met with current Cheshire East Council leader Sam Corcoran, who is also Labour.

Cllr Brian Puddicombe, Labour Cheshire East Councillor for Macclesfield South, said "Since the outline planning permission was granted in 2017, the knowledge and expectations of our residents regarding the environment and the importance of peatlands has become some much greater. This development cannot be allowed to go ahead."

Cllr Fiona Wilson, Labour Macclesfield Town Councillor for Macclesfield South, said "Danes Moss has been crucial to many people's mental health during the pandemic."

"Local children have written to tell us how important areas like this are to prevent global warning and protect their future. I will continue to oppose development on this site."

Rachel Bayley (Conservative), who was leader of Cheshire East Council when the proposed 950 homes received outline approval, has been contacted for comment.

The full planning documents can be found here. Macclesfield: Those interested can join the 'SAVE DANES MOSS' campaign group here.

See Also: Macclesfield MP calls on council to 'review and reconsider' Danes Moss housing plans

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