Hundreds petition against new homes in Cheadle
The plans have been criticised by residents of the Rakeway Estate
Last updated 15th Jul 2025
Hundreds of residents have joined forces against a proposed development for 50 houses on three fields outside the settlement boundary of Cheadle.
CCP Developments (Stone) Limited announced plans earlier this year to build new homes on Manifold Drive.
However, the plans have been criticised by residents of the Rakeway Estate opposite the proposed development, who claim the development will cause increased traffic congestion and heightened risk of flooding.
Documents submitted by the developer state that additional traffic will be ‘barely perceptible’ and would represent an additional car journey every two to three minutes.
A petition has now been signed by 575 residents across Cheadle and several public meetings have been held, with so many residents wanting to attend that the venue size has had to increase. Rachel Mosley started the petition against the development.
"we have concerns"
In the petition she said: “We have concerns that the only route on and off the proposed dwellings is on to Rakeway Estate this will impact significantly on traffic through Cheadle and onto the estate, using roads that are in poor condition now, never mind with increased traffic of construction and then additional people.
“There is evidence of increased water lying and staying in the local fields, on the roads and in residents gardens, further houses will increase this as there will be less green areas to soak up rain water.
“At this point, we are not sure what wildlife or plant life exists in the field proposed for development but over the years we as residents have been lucky enough to have seen and had visits from foxes, newts, hedgehogs, bats and numerous types of birds.”
The developer states that Staffordshire Moorlands District Council cannot demonstrate a five year housing land supply and therefore a presumption in favour of sustainable development exists. New housing targets placed on the council mean that 454 houses each year need to be built.
"change the identity of Cheadle"
Tracy Higgins, who has lived on the nearby estate for 21 years says that if the plans are approved it will change the character of Cheadle being a market town.
She said: “My main issue is it’s going to change the identity of Cheadle as a town, with all the buildings, it’s going to be concrete everywhere.
“We’re going to have no greenspace, it’s going to ruin the whole look of the town. Also because of the drainage issues and the flooding, if we get more houses it will create more of that and who’s going to foot the bill for damage to our properties.”
The estate has suffered from flooding issues for a number of years and residents claim that every time there is heavy rain roads around the area turn into streams.
For the past 30 years Ivor and his wife Valarie Bassett have watched the cows graze the field from his bungalow. They are worried about the flooding issue and say the roads won’t be able to handle the increase in cars.
Valarie said: “Why are they going to build the houses here, I don’t know because it won’t take the drainage. We’ve been flooded, it came right to the front door step, it came down here like a brook and if they’re going to build more houses it’s going to get worse.”
A flood risk assessment and drainage strategy has been produced by the developers which states that the site is in flood zone one, which is the lowest risk. They further say that the development will ensure increased surface runoff will not increase the flood risk elsewhere.
The application and all supporting documents can be viewed on the council’s planning portal under reference number SMD/2025/0243.
Public comments on the application can be made until 22 July, with the planning committee set to meet mid-August to determine the application.