From the very beginning of the Save Danes Moss campaign we have been blown away by the depth and breadth of community support. It has been a continual source of inspiration and is a true testament to the value of Danes Moss North to local people.

We have been looking at ways of keeping it as a publicly accessible area and in late 2024 we decided to nominate Danes Moss North for inclusion on Cheshire East Council’s register of Assets of Community Value (ACV).

In a nutshell, once a property is included on the register the nominee must be given the opportunity to bid for it if it is put up for sale. The nominee must also be given six months to raise the purchase price.

As a registered charity Danes Moss Trust can apply for a range of funds that could enable the site to be purchased without the use of public money. Such funding is never certain, but we are optimistic that a reasonable sum could be raised.

Our application included enough detailed information to define Danes Moss North as an ACV however the Council (as the landowner) made an official objection to its nomination which triggered a legal hearing, involving senior legal officers of the council plus four councillors, to assess the objection.

We presented our evidence at the hearing, and the objection was subsequently dismissed. Most of the Council-owned land (Area A on the plan) on Danes Moss North is now officially an Asset of Community Value, although we suspect our supporters knew
that all along.

Cheshire East Council’s replacement Local Plan, covering the period from 2030 onwards, is currently in preparation. We hope that recognition of the site as an ACV will result in it being excluded from development in the Local Plan.