Protect Congleton – Civic Society provides a forum for residents of Congleton and the surrounding areas to unite together in support of strategic development that benefits the community, the rural environment and our way of life. We are not an anti-build organisation and we want to see a Town Plan implemented that deters profit-led developers from destroying our natural heritage, adding to the infrastructure and congestion issues. We are about encouraging social responsibility and civic pride, and empowering residents to take an active role in shaping the town. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter where the latest discussions on planning issues and similar matters are always on-going – see the Facebook and Twitter links at the bottom right of the screen.
You can get in touch with us through our Contact Us form. Alternatively if you would like a chat you can contact:
Chair: Nick Light on 07703 208210
Vice-chair: Jenny Unsworth on 01260 273313
As mentioned above we are not anti‑build but believe that developments need to be in the right place for the right reasons. Cheshire East is suffering very badly due the lack of a Local Plan that should set out a strategic vision for development over the next twenty year. Developers are seizing this opportunity to submit planning applications wherever they are able with no regard for local community needs. Cheshire East is unable to refuse such applications on the grounds that they do not yet meet the requirements of their Local Plan and even when such applications are refused we are already witnessing developer appeals being upheld by the Government Planning Inspectorate due to the lack of a Local Plan ot 5 year identified housing allocation. Many like-minded groups such as ours are springing up across Cheshire East and nationally.
Occasionally ‘nimby’ is aimed at well-meaning groups like ours. This is an outdated form of attack used by profiteers to leverage their agenda and by doing so disrespect the endeavours of local communities to install civic pride and social responsibility in their town. If a development is not economically, strategically and environmentally sound, who else but a local community and its appropriate groups, councils and associated organisations can speak up on behalf of local residents to address the issue. If it were not for common sense at these grass roots then what a total mess our towns would be and with decimated countryside in between! This is, after all, one of the mainstays of the government’s big society agenda – citizens taking personal responsibility at a local level for the good of their community in order to ‘make Britain great again’.
People mostly get to choose where they live. We choose carefully and we care about what happens to that environment once we’re in it. We also feel empathy and compassion when we watch the news and hear of injustices that are being done in the environments of other communities. It is human nature to care.