Welcome to the blog / website of the Friends of Dean Row, a residents' group established to represent the views of people living near Dean Row, in Wilmslow. Unfortunately, Friends of Dean Row has had to be set up at a time when the future of the area has been put into doubt by the proposals in the draft Wilmslow Vision document. You can view the draft Wilmslow Vision document here: Draft Wilmslow Vision.
Our raison d'être
1 - To spread awareness of the plans. For reasons not yet clear, Wilmslow Council has chosen not to post information (even a leaflet!) to homes in Wilmslow to let residents know of the plans. This is despite there being clear precedents in other East Cheshire towns going through similar processes, where all residents have quite properly been informed about the ideas for their town, and their views sought. Friends of Dean Row is therefore working hard to ensure that people know about these plans.
2 - To ensure that local residents' voices are heard. We understand that several Wilmslow Town Councillors have serious concerns about the proposals, and are very keen to hear the views of local residents. We intend to help facilitate this, by providing a forum for people to debate the issues and have their say. Please feel free to leave your comments on this website!
3 - To protect all of areas Ba, Bb, Bc, Ha and Hb in Dean Row from development, to retain the Green Belt status of the area in its entirety, and reinstate Safeguarded status for area Bc.
The plans
The sheer scale of the potential development has shocked many people across Wilmslow. The Wilmslow Vision appears not to recognise the value which residents place on Wilmslow's precious green spaces. Nor do the proposals recognise the vital function of the Green Belt, which protects the town from incessant development, at risk from becoming a suburban sprawl, and thereby a dilution of what makes the town special.
If you live in the Dean Row area, the potential development sites of B and H will be particularly close to your heart, and many residents here are concerned that any extra development in this area is not sustainable. This is following significant expansion already over the last 15 years leading to over-used roads etc, which is only going to get significantly worse once the 1,000 houses on the Woodford Airfield site are built.
Who decided on 1,500 houses anyway?
The "Advisory Stakeholder Group" (the composition of which is not clear) appears to be the body which has proposed a target of 1,500 new houses. We believe that the residents of Wilmslow should demand to see the calculation of how this number was arrived at. It is striking that the minimum number of houses required in order to satisfy Cheshire East Council's wider growth target for the county is just 500 houses (as stated in the Wilmslow Vision). So why is the Advisory Stakeholder Group advocating a number THREE TIMES this size, and do the residents of Wilmslow agree? Clearly, it is in the interests of businesses in Wilmslow to encourage more development (more customers!) and this raises serious questions about the composition of the Advisory Stakeholder Group and whether any potential conflicts of interest may exist within it.
What Next?
- Questionnaire
You can fill in the questionnaire online here or let us know if you would like a paper copy and we will photocopy one for you! In theory, they are also available at the Leisure Centre, but when we visited on Tuesday, they had already run out. Please remember that anyone with an interest in the area can fill in a questionnaire and it is one per person, not just one per household. We are assured that the number of questionnaires received back will have a direct impact on whether Areas B and H are opened to development, so please do fill out a form.
- Meeting with Councillors
Friends of Dean Row are arranging a meeting with Wilmslow town councillors, giving local residents the opportunity to find out more information and to voice their views. The meeting will be held at Dean Row Village Hall at 7pm on Friday 20th April. We look forward to meeting you there!
- Stay in touch
Please email us or subscribe to this blog if you wish to stay in touch with the campaign as it develops. We also have a facebook page: just search for Friends of Dean Row and show your support!
Thanks!
We hope that with your support, we can retain the Green Belt / Safeguarded status of the area and prevent these damaging developments from proceeding. Many thanks for your support.
Best regards,
Friends of Dean Row
as a current resident on adlington rd for the last three yrs,i have just agreed terms on the purchase of my new house in the designated zones.this house sale is now terminated by myself due to the proposals, the damage in my views to house market has already begun, its wildlife. and simply stunning views alike will be damaged...will be present also to voice my fears at the meeting
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say thank you for delivering the note yesterday, and making me aware of these potentially disastrous proposals for Dean Row. I moved here 18 months ago and know exactly how precious our green space is. I will be at the meeting on the 20th.
ReplyDeleteJust to say thank you to those who have stepped up and made our community aware of these unreasonable and completely astonishing developments which simply must be stopped.Dean Row is already busy enough with traffic jams every morning and evening and will no doubt become even worse with the proposed Woodford "mega estate".Like many others in the area I purchased property which over looked green belt to find that I could now become surrounded by an expanding concrete jungle! I certainly hope our elected representatives will stand up and be counted to prevent these crazy proposals and ensure the green areas of Wilmslow (Dean Row) reamin just that.
ReplyDeleteThis is not just a matter of green belt land.
ReplyDeleteArea Bc on Adlington Road was safeguarded land until very recently. If all local residents requested that it be returned to safeguarded there is a good chance that that could happen.
Of all the proposed sites for development Bc will cause more disruption to our lives than any other.
I ask you to imagine one new householder going to work and the other on the school run - up to 600 additional cars pouring out onto Adlington Road or going via Browns Lane or Cross Lane which may well require widening. The cars ending up at the roundabouts at each end of Adlington Road. There would also have to undoubtedly be traffic lights. I urge everybody to complete a questionnaire requesting Bc be returned to safeguarded status.
Please bring the proposed suggestions to the attention of your neighbours.
Very Many Thanks.
So lets be quite clear about this. After the public consultation period which ends on 30th April site allocation will take place.
ReplyDeleteThe area known as Bc on Adlington Road is owned, it is believed, by a developer/builder.
It was 'safeguarded' until 2011. It is in the consultation document to get peoples' opinion on what should happen to it next.
We have the chance, under the localism act, to say what we want to happen to the land.
The Council must also take into account the Local Plans of adjacent authorities, i.e. 800 houses at Woodford.
The Cheshire Landscape Charter Assessment should insure that the character of Adlington Road is not altered.
I urge everyone to say No development on Bc. keep the open space on Adlington Road.
I am signing this as anonymous because I don't understand the options. My name is John and I live on Adlington Road.
I am horrified by how the council can appear to run roughshod over the Government's own 'Localism' manifesto. Isn't the whole point of Localism to allow the local residents to have a say in their own future? How can this be so when Cheshire East don't appear to be going out of their way to consult the local residents? Surely it would be fair and equitable to have at least have posted leaflets through all the resident's doors in and around the affected areas?
ReplyDeleteIt would appear that Cheshire East have looked at the statute books and said 'what is the minimum amount of consultation that we can get away with, in order to get these proposls through'
The only reason I have been made aware of these proposals is the erection of a banner at the mini roundabout at the end of Dean Row Rd.
Having moved to Lees Lane in September last year I am even more concerned that my solicitors search threw none of this up and that my main reason for moving into the area for it's stunning scenery and green belt land is now under direct threat.
The local roads around the Unicorn Pub are already choked during rush hour - how will they be if both Woodford and these proposed developments go ahead?
I cannot for the life of me see how the council can justify building 3/4 of it's required housing stock in and around Wilmslow, surely it would make more sense to build the 20 or 30 houses required in and around each village / town throughout the county.
This is not NIMBYism this is purely a case for asking the council to justify how they have decided on such a proposal and why these houses can't be built elsewhere, but more importantly asking them why the local residents have been kept in the dark.
Thanks for making me aware of the proposed development. I saw the yellow sign at the Dean Row roundabout today. It took a while, but I read the 'draft Wilmslow vision' filled in the council survey to oppose the development.
ReplyDeleteReally pleased this is up and running.
ReplyDeleteAt the recent Village hall meeting there was mention of a better set of maps showing the proposed development areas. I have tried to find them on the East Cheshire website but can't. Can someone put the link up please.
Thanks!
Hope this helps: http://friendsofdeanrow.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/development-map.html
DeleteYes, thank you for making me aware of the proposed development. I've lived in the area for over 20 years and enjoy the green belt attached to the estate.
DeletePersonally, I think there should be a ban on office developments. There are so many unused, unsightly empty spaces - tidy these up and convert to housing. The Council should not be considering extending housing in Wilmslow. Before we know it, we will be in Wilmslow City not Village. What a dreadful thought.