Cheshire East planners have recommended the council press ahead with proposed works at Poynton Pool reservoir despite its own officers describing the environmental impact as 'brutal' and 'significantly harmful'.

Poynton Pool is classed as a large high-risk reservoir, which means an uncontrolled release of water could endanger human life.

The council, as landowner, has a legal obligation to carry out works to ensure it is safe and, following a safety inspection, submitted a planning application to do work to prevent possible future flooding.

That controversial application is due to be considered by Cheshire East's strategic planning board on Wednesday.

A report from the council's planning officer to next week's meeting states: "These works comprise the infilling of the low points along the bank and slightly raising the level of crest with the addition of a kerb along its length to ensure a consistent level and works consisting of widening the footpath to two metres and resurfacing it with compacted gravel."

But it acknowledges: "Whilst the extent of operational development works are limited, the environmental impacts associated with it are more significant."

The proposal includes the felling of 78 trees and the removal of sections of hedgerow.

(Image - Andy Robinson)

The council's own officer describes the loss of these trees as 'significantly harmful to the amenity of local area' and says the replacement planting over 2km away 'does little to mitigate for the amenity or historic value of the trees within Poynton'.

The officer also states the creation of two 40m wide gaps within the prominent roadside woodland that forms the boundary to Poynton Park will be a 'brutal intervention, and unequivocally harmful'.

But the planning officer then recommends the scheme for approval saying: "The identified harm is considered to be outweighed by the need for the proposal and the lack of any viable alternatives in this case."

More than 1,700 objectors have emailed the council – including local residents, Poynton Town Council and MP David Rutley.

A petition signed by more than 5,700 people has also been submitted, calling on the council to review its 2019 flood study of the site.

Campaign group Friends of Poynton Pool (FoPP) is fighting for a more environmentally-friendly solution for the plan to offset flooding fears at the popular beauty spot.

The group has produced two alternative schemes of its own, drawn up by a civil engineer and a civil and structural designer and shared at a public meeting. Both have been sent to Cheshire East with a covering email but the group says it has not received a response.

(Image - Andy Robinson)

FoPP chair, Mike Ellison, an arboriculturist, said: "Our view is the flood study is flawed.

"The application should be deferred to allow the flood study to be reviewed and the inflow and outflow of the pool measured so a solution can be designed to mitigate a measured rather than imagined risk.

"We have worked tirelessly to try and find better solutions to the current proposal, which amounts to widescale environmental vandalism, but have been ignored by Cheshire East Council every step of the way.

"Yet, despite the council openly acknowledging financial difficulties that threaten the village's tip, leisure centre and the introduction of car parking charges, it wants to proceed with a plan that will cost over £1.4m to implement and more to maintain.

"Our alternative proposals mean just a single remnant beech stump will need to be removed along with some nearby minor vegetation.

"Most importantly, we anticipate that no further mature trees will be affected, and a costly landscape maintenance regime won't be necessary."

The application will be considered at the next meeting of the strategic planning board, which takes place on Wednesday, April 24, at 10am at Macclesfield Town Hall.

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