OPPOSITION to a proposed care home in Handforth continues to mount with more than 300 names now added to a petition and over 70 letters of objection submitted to Macclesfield Borough Council.

The plans for the care village, including a care home and independent living cottages of which some are earmarked for affordable homes, on land between Coppice Way and Hall Road in Handforth has been unanimously opposed by residents.

Among the objections sent to the council’s planning department is a petition with 343 signatures from those against the development.

Rob Acton of Wadsworth Close is one of the residents who wants to see one of the last green spaces in the area saved from the developers and praised Rebecca Calvert,22, who started the petition.

He said: "She’s a local resident and only a young girl and felt so strongly, she has solicited support from people. She’s done a lot of trudging round and made a lot of people aware of it and has virtually single handedly got 343 names."

Mr Acton added: "This surely sends out a huge message to the local planning department and the planning committee that the people of Handforth do not need or want this development. The land in question is a valuable haven for wildlife and a recreational facility used by hundreds of local residents and is protected under the local plan until at least 2011. Indeed it should be put back into green belt land for present and future generations to enjoy. Greystone’s the developers are intending to persuade the planning department to overturn the local plan and allow this development to go ahead as early as spring next year."

He added: "The main thrust of their argument is that there is a need for this type of facility in the area conveniently failing to mention Oakmere Care Village off Spath Lane which is due for completion in 2008 and the fact that there are already eight other care facilities for elderly people within a two kilometre radius of Handforth. This is clearly a smokescreen to try and push through a very lucrative cash cow for Greystone’s with the care village supplying a steady flow of customers for the care home, commercialism at its worst. I would suggest that elderly people would much prefer to be part of the local community for as long as possible and not to be excluded in a purpose built compound."

Barton Willmore, planning consultants to the developers Greystone, declined to comment.

The planning meeting will be held at Macclesfield Town Hall at 2pm on Tuesday, October 21.