Two Danes Moss protests in a week to protect South Macclesfield peatland
By Matt Spink
5th May 2022 | Local News
Two environmental protests have been held outside of Cheshire East Council meetings within the last seven days
The demonstrations are taking place to urge councillors to rethink plans to build hundreds of houses on the fringes of Danes Moss Nature Reserves in South Macclesfield.
The first of the recent protests took place at Macclesfield Leisure Centre on April 27, and the second was held on May 4 outside of Crewe Town Hall.
Macclesfield Nub News spoke to some of the 45 who attended the events.
"We are facing a huge biodiversity crisis. Particularly in Britain, which has one of the worst situations when it comes to biodiversity loss in the whole of the world, " said environmental sciences student Dr. Barry Speed.
"So every time we can save biodiversity, we have to do it, and that has to come into the council's calculations.
"They should be taking a leadership role. What should be at the top of the agenda? It's got to be climate."
The SAVE DANES MOSS campaign group has estimated the 136 acre planned development site could contain as much as 72,195 tonnes of carbon, which could release up to 264,409 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
"As we know, councils are strapped for money. The vote will come down to a matter of cost," added Barry.
"They are going to make £18 million extra if this site is developed, so it is a very difficult vote for councillors. That figure could provide better children's services, but I don't think that is the right calculation.
"If they do up the site, first of all they release a lot of carbon into the air, we have done some calculations as to how much carbon that would be.
"More importantly, if the land was rewetted, not all of it but a proportion of it was rewetted - as it used to be 200 years ago - it will absorb carbon into the ground every single year.
"The current price of carbon on the world market is £100 a tonne, and that price will only go up when it gets more and more difficult to offset your carbon emissions.
"So, the price of carbon is going up and up, and it is already £100 a tonne the amount you could be absorbing, every year if it was rewetted could be worth far more than £18 million the council would get from the plans going ahead."
Neither Cheshire East Council, or the housing developers have responded to a request for comment to Macclesfield Nub News on the site, and have not addressed the protests taking place.
But Macclesfield resident and Cheshire East Green Party member John Knight did comment on the council's housing plans.
"Cheshire East Council needs to match their actions with their words, they need to reduce their carbon emissions and become carbon neutral," he said.
8000 people have signed a petition opposing the development. A vote could take place later this year.
This is not the first time that the council's plans have been met with protests from those who are concerned about the future of our environment.
Over 200 attended a meeting at the site earlier this year.
Macclesfield MP David Rutley had previously called on councillors to 'review and reconsider' the plans for almost 1000 houses on the Macclesfield site.
See Also: Macclesfield: Danes Moss petition against housing passes signature milestone
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