There’s no doubt 2013 will be a monumental year for us in Cheshire East. The biggest and most controversial item on the agenda is the release of green belt land for development.

This is not a philosophy that can be reversed. Once the diggers move in, no foliage or wildlife will be seen on that land again (save the odd ornamental garden.)

Of course, there’s a huge amount of money to be made from building on the green belt. Planning consent alone will rocket its value into the stratosphere. Already farmers, schools and organisations are lining up to sell any green belt land they own for development.

One of those organisations is Cheshire East council who stand to pocket millions by selling off their own green belt land bank. Had they already exploited every brownfield site diligently it would be a different matter but that is far from the case, as can be seen by the numerous brownfield sites standing idle.

The old R H Stevens site on Macclesfield’s Gunco Lane has approval for over 100 dwellings but not a single brick has been laid. Green belt is so much cheaper to develop.

If estate agents had droves of eager clients waiting to buy with mortgages available that would indicate demand, but current properties remain unsold for years, yet politicians forecast a boom?

It’s hard to trust politicians and local and national authorities when with hindsight they get so many things wrong.

It doesn’t inspire confidence in their expertise does it?

You can’t recreate the green belt. Once it’s gone that’s it.

So we need to exploit all avenues and be absolutely sure of the need before it’s destroyed. Accepting what we’re told would be an act of total folly. We should challenge every statement. There is too much at stake to get this wrong. Have no doubt you will be fighting against BIG money interests, so organise and be prepared.

It’s one thing to see our green fields disappear out of necessity.

It would be quite another to lose them to incompetence or greed. There are enough good legal brains living in Cheshire to spearhead the fight and plenty of willing residents prepared to do the grunt work.

Let’s see all those brownfield sites developed to their full potential before we give an inch.