Peatland Restoration Is A Priority

Working with Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Macclesfield MP, David Rutley, has written to the Chief Executive of Cheshire East Council, asking for peatland restoration to be a clear priority at Danes Moss.

This follows the Trust’s work which highlights the low cost of this vital work.

David is strongly opposed to development on the Danes Moss site and has urged the Council to suspend any further steps that could progress development plans. Protecting vital peatland, such as this, is essential in the fight against climate change. He has also welcomed the recent news that Danes Moss has been designated as a Local Wildlife site.

David is in regular contact with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust and has previously met on site with them to discuss potential methods of restoring the peatland and the associated cost of this. Since then, the team have been working hard to determine the likely costs to help make the case for this important work.

Danes Moss is a 55-hectare site, and out of this 45ha would be restorable. Excluding the wet woodland and other none-peat habitat, 23ha could be considered for peatland restoration. Experience from elsewhere suggests that restoration at Danes Moss could be inexpensive, perhaps in the region of £24,000, although a full restoration plan would need to be established before the exact cost is known.

Given the importance of this much valued peatland and the potential low cost of restoration, David has written to Cheshire East Council asking the Chief Executive to make peatland restoration a clear focus of future plans for Danes Moss, rather than the development plans that are currently being considered.

David said “Like many local residents, I am strongly opposed to development at Danes Moss in order to protect the vital peatland. Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the Save Danes Moss Campaign group have been doing excellent work. With the Trust’s latest information regarding the low cost of restoration, it is more important than ever for Cheshire East Council to focus on peatland restoration, rather than on unwanted development.”