Click here to read a news update on Longridge from December 2024

The Longridge site boasts a complex mosaic of various habitats including meadow, woodland, scrub, wet woodland and a variety of ponds. It is not only a haven for birds, bats, amphibians, and all sorts of insects, but it also acts as a vital piece of the wider wildlife corridor, from the amazing flocks of redwing in the winter or the remarkable three species of newts that forage for invertebrates in the grassland and scrub. 

It connects Birkin Brook and the adjacent Church Woods ancient woodland, to Booths Mere, Spring Woods and reaches eastward to Marthall Brook. In a county where natural areas are few and far between, the connectedness of these sites is crucial for the survival of many species that rely on these habitats.  

However, it is now threatened with development, a common fate for wild places.  

Over the last two weeks Dr Rachel Giles, Evidence and Planning Programme Manager at Cheshire Wildlife Trust, has been giving evidence at a public inquiry to defend the site.

In 2017, Longridge was removed from the Green Belt and allocated for development under the Cheshire East Local Plan. Not long afterwards, local group Save Longridge Greenbelt (SLG), who had come together to save the site, contacted Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
 
We submitted numerous objections to the planning proposals and in 2021 we assessed the site against the strict criteria used to designate Local Wildlife Sites. It was clear that the criteria were met and subsequently the site was designated, giving it additional protection against proposed developments. This was a valuable site that neither nature, nor the community, could afford to lose.

With a local designation adding weight to renewed objections, Cheshire East Strategic Planning Board took notice. The planning committee voted to refuse the planning application, against the advice of the Cheshire East Council Case Officer, citing that “the development would result in additional harm with regards to ecology, particularly as a result of the impact upon the Longridge Local Wildlife Site”.  

Undeterred, the developers appealed the decision, arguing that the original allocation and the need for additional housing outweighed the detrimental impacts to nature. Urged by SLG, we decided to formally represent at the inquiry alongside them and Knutsford Residents in Over Ward (KROW). Several local residents also gave moving evidence on the importance of the site to the people of Longridge.

We argued that the Local Wildlife Site designation and the harm to important and rare species and habitats should not be ignored and that this development should not be allowed to go through.

Cheshire Wildlife Trust's Evidence and Planning team has been working hard to defend the site, compiling a range of documents detailing our arguments and providing thorough evidence.

At the inquiry, which lasted six days over the course of two weeks, Dr Rachel Giles delivered opening statements, presented the evidence and participated in a ‘round table’ to discuss planning conditions should the site be developed. Rachel advocated for a condition to be set that would require a more accurate measure of habitat loss for the development. During the inquiry, Rachel was questioned by a King’s Counsel Barrister for over two hours, in an attempt to undermine our case.
 
Several local residents also gave moving evidence on the importance of the site to the people of Longridge, including John Finnan of Save Longridge Greenbelt.

All those involved in the inquiry visited the site and on the last day, Rachel delivered closing remarks and spoke more broadly about the importance of nature and how important this decision will be.

We now eagerly await the decision of the planning inspectors.

“When I was shown a copy of the ecology scoping report from 2013, I was shocked. I was convinced this site wouldn’t have been allocated had the ecology been understood.

"We are not anti-development and don’t wish to undermine the planning process. However, we want to ensure proper recognition of the site’s outstanding value for wildlife. We regularly work with developers to secure the best possible environmental outcomes. Our desire to work with developers is the reason why the Wildlife Trusts developed the UK’s first green infrastructure benchmark for the built-environment sector, ‘Building with Nature’.

"The contribution from the local groups and local individuals throughout this process has been immeasurable. They have put in so much effort and passion over the last seven years and it’s down to them that we became involved. This whole process has very much been a joint effort.

"The site at Longridge is currently a heritage asset for the people of Knutsford. It is a surviving remnant of what the countryside would have looked like when our grandparents or great grandparents were children. If it were built heritage such as a church or historical building we wouldn’t dream of destroying it in this way, so why is our natural heritage treated so differently?"

Rachel spoke at the inquiry on behalf of our supporters and our 17,600 members. As your local Wildlife Trust, we're here to keep you informed on issues facing nature and wildlife on your doorstep. We'll be sure to keep you informed on the outcome of the inquiry. 

In the meantime, please visit our website to find out more about Local Wildlife Sites and ways you can speak up for nature.