The site is one of 12 suggested for potential new towns.
FURIOUS councillors are demanding to know why proposals for a massive 20,000-home new town were kept “secret” from them.
The proposal was submitted by landowner Belport and its potential was recognised by the New Towns Taskforce which left locals angry.
The New Towns Taskforce is an independent expert advisory panel established in September 2024 to support the government to deliver the next generation of new towns.
The proposed new town is to be built on approximately 970 hectares of greenfield land around the existing Cheshire village of Adlington – less than a mile from the Greater Manchester border.
However, local councillors at Poynton knew nothing of it until the announcement about the 12 national sites suggested as possible locations for new towns was made public reports the Manchester News.
Cllr Michael Beanland (Poynton West & Adlington, Con) told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s highly unlikely that Cheshire East [Council] didn’t know, in my opinion.
“We want to know who at Cheshire East was consulted and who decided it was going to be embargoed.”
He added: “We had no idea Cheshire East was involved in expressions of interest.
“That’s a massive town – 20,000 homes that’s incredible.”
He explained councillors were meeting with Cheshire East officers next week to find out what was going on.
“It’ll be a merger of many towns and parishes into one big settlement.
“We can’t cope already with the current road system and the infrastructure.
“We’re going to join forces and it’s not going to happen in Adlington on my watch.”
However, the New Towns Taskforce said, in its report, that a new town at Adlington would be strategically located to benefit the economies of both Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
The report states: “Cheshire has a nationally significant life sciences cluster, with the Cheshire science corridor boasting a wealth of industry and research and innovation assets.
“Greater Manchester has an extremely diverse economy, but growth is constrained by a shortage of housing.
“A new town at Adlington could help to sustain future growth in both Cheshire and Greater Manchester by easing housing pressures and supporting workforce mobility.”
But, Cheshire Wildlife Trust has urged the government to rethink their plans about developing at Adlington.
A spokesman said: “The rural parish of Adlington has areas of ancient woodland, home to species such as the rare lesser spotted woodpecker and unusual woodland flowers such as woodruff and wood speedwell.
“To the east of the parish are the foothills of the Peak District with local wildlife sites such as Macclesfield Canal and Styperson Park, which hosts one of the finest areas of bluebells in the whole county.
“The historic Adlington Hall estate dates back to the 13th century and has more than 40 hectares of wood park and pasture priority habitat.
“We urge the government to think again about developing at Adlington.”
Furious local residents have also launched a campaign against the plans.
Aysha Hawcutt said: “It’s not a NIMBY (not in my backyard) thing, it’s not even about the other towns around us, the proposals here affect the whole country.
“As a nation we need to be worried about the loss of green belt, the loss of productive farming.
“I’m not saying don’t build houses. I know we need houses, we’ve all got children, they’re going to have to live somewhere but town centres and brownfield [sites] need to be the way forward.”
Freddie James, developer at Belport, said his firm believed a new community at Adlington would be “an opportunity to address housing pressure in the area”.
He said any development would include improvements to local infrastructure.
The government has said no final decisions would be made until a strategic environmental assessment has been completed.
A spokesperson said: “The government will be looking for assurance that any location can be effectively and efficiently delivered in partnership with local communities, has a clear economic purpose, and will support national economic growth.
“New towns provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to both provide the homes that people need but also fundamentally reshape the way that large-scale communities are built in this country.
“We will work tirelessly across government and with delivery partners and local communities to ensure that new towns are, in the words of the task force, not just places to live, but places to live well.”
A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council told The Sun: “We note the recommendations announced by the New Towns Taskforce recently, and the initial response to this from the Government.
“The response includes Adlington, near Macclesfield, as one of the recommended locations for a new town. The submissions considered have been prepared independently and not proposed by Cheshire East Council.
