What did local people think of the initial plans at the consultation event?
Bernadette West, who has lived in Adlington for 30 years, said she did not agree with the proposals.
“All they’re in for is the money,” she said. “They don’t care about the area at all.
“Quite a lot of houses and a lot of traffic, isn’t it?”
Rachel Shaw, who has lived in the area for 40 years, said she went in “absolutely opposed” to the plans.
“But the idea itself is far preferable than developing other sites,” she said.
She said she still had concerns about the infrastructure and suggested that “it can’t cope”.
“All the arguments that we had against the new town, the sewerage, the electricity, the water, still exist.
“But if we have to build, they seem to be a bit more sympathetic.
“I went fired up with all my questions and these guys are very skilled with the marketing tools, so I’m still opposed to it but I don’t feel as violently opposed.”
Stephen Gildert, a Conservative councillor on Prestbury Parish Council, said local residents’ concerns “still remain regarding loss of productive farmland, housing density, access, transport, roads”.
When asked if he was opposed to any development in the area, he said it was “a question of having to work with reality”.
“We can stand there and wave and it just doesn’t make any difference at all, but I think we should be able to shape what we need as a local community,” he said.
But Gildert said he was still concerned large-scale development – as put forward under the new town plans – could still happen.
“I have a concern that we end up with a new town but in a ‘death by a thousand cuts way’.”
There are still a number of years before any work could start here, so it looks like the discussion around the future plans for the site – and the concerns of the local community – will rumble on for some considerable time.