ANGRY residents are questioning why Cheshire East Council needs to spend £1.38m on safety work at Poynton Pool when it shows no sign of flooding but other areas are currently under water.

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 the reservoir is safe and, following a safety inspection, has now submitted a planning application to do work.

But it involves the felling of more than 30 trees and would have a detrimental impact on the environment.

At the time of writing, more than 950 letters have been sent to the council opposing the planning application it submitted for the scheme two months ago.

More than 5,700 people have signed a petition objecting.

Knutsford Guardian: Cllr Hayley WhitakerCllr Hayley Whitaker (Image: Cheshire East Council)Poynton councillor Hayley Whitaker (Con) told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week: “Residents are demanding to know why the council insists on pressing ahead with the work when, they say, the pool shows no signs of flooding despite the recent downpours.”

Fellow Poynton councillor Jos Saunders (Con) said: “We seem to have flooding everywhere else but nothing at Poynton Pool.

“Every time we have a lot of rain the pool’s not flooded, yet Cheshire East Council are going to spend all this money on it.”

Fed-up residents have taken to social media to vent their anger – especially as the Poynton Bypass was one of a number of roads across the borough which flooded.

One posted on Facebook: “Many flood alerts around the area, but nothing for Poynton Pool.”

Another posted: “Ironic that the actual floods are brushed under the carpet to focus on a much more hypothetical yet unproblematic risk.”

Knutsford Guardian: Towers Road in Poynton is one area which was affected Towers Road in Poynton is one area which was affected (Image: Submitted)Poynton Pool was built more than 250 years ago and has never overflowed or breached the dam.

Cheshire East says work is necessary to prevent possible future flooding and has submitted a planning application to remove low points along approximately 480m of the dam embankment and to slightly raise the level of crest to increase the flood resilience of the reservoir.

It says a kerb alongside an enhanced footpath will create the crest level and the works will also include the creation of two 40m-wide clearings, to further increase flood resilience.

But the campaign group, Friends of Poynton Pool, is fighting to protect the trees and wildlife and demanding the most environmentally-friendly solutions are carried out, should any works be undertaken.

Knutsford Guardian: Poynton PoolPoynton Pool (Image: Geoff Jennings)

The group also says its own expert has ‘blown holes’ in the 2019 report done for the council.

And it argues the £1.38m the authority is planning to spend on the works is unnecessary and could be scaled back.

The planning application, number 23/4152M, can be viewed on the planning portal on Cheshire East Council’s website.

The last date for members of the public to submit comments has been extended to January 10 2024.

The application is expected to be considered by the strategic planning board on January 31.