Campaigners issue warning as trees at Poynton Pool remain under threat
Friends of Poynton Pool have submitted an open letter to the council
Last updated 9th Oct 2025
Trees at Poynton Pool remain under threat despite a local group suggesting a more suitable alternative.
In 2024 Cheshire East Council’s plan for spillway works put 78 trees in danger at Poynton Pool which was challenged by the local campaign group 'Friends of Poynton Pool'.
They proposed an alternative scheme that would preserve the woodland and remove only a single remnant tree stump and minor trees.
Elain Adam from Friends of Poynton Pool said:
"We suggested increasing the outflow capacity, taking the pipes under the main road and then it would then join the other outflow system on the other side of the road, so because its basically increasing the capacity of the current outflow pipes it strained to a very small area and the area it's would run through there is no trees just the one remnant stump."
The suggested proposal was rejected by the local council.
Friends of Poynton Pool have now sent an open letter to the council stating a lack of evidential justification and statutory duties to protect the environment.
In the letter the group chair Mike Ellison stated:
"There are no records of Poynton Pool ever having overtopped the dam embankment since construction in the mid-1760s despite severe storms when local flooding has been widespread. The absence of such events undermines any claim that felling mature trees is required to enable a flood-prevention or safety measure."
"The reported risk from release of the reservoir has been shown to be based on flawed data, including a reservoir volume overestimated by almost 100%, an outflow capacity underestimated by almost 100%, and inflow from a direct catchment that is artificially directed into the reservoir by a device that can be closed at any time."
"The risk originally reported to the council as high and unacceptable has been shown to be within tolerable limits based on the assessment provided by your engineers, who, on our advice, have since acknowledged that the risk is not high."
The campaigners also warned Cheshire East Council that they could face a judicial review if they go ahead with the suggested plans.
"The proposed felling of trees at Poynton Pool is not supported by evidence, contrary to statutory duties, and it is disproportionate in its environmental impact.
Should this matter proceed without lawful justification and without serious consideration of alternative solutions, we reserve the right to pursue all available legal remedies, including judicial review."
A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said:
“The council has a legal duty under the Reservoirs Act to maintain the safety and management of Poynton Pool. This obligation means we must act to develop and deliver the required safety recommendations within the agreed timescales.
“We remain committed to developing a solution that meets this requirement, while also considering the concerns raised by the community and to support this process, we’ve introduced additional checks and challenge, where appropriate, through independent reviews and assessments.
“The responsibility for ensuring compliance and for developing and evaluating any final proposals rests with the council and its appointed professional team and this work will continue in due course. The planning application for this site will be determined at a later date.”