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A campaigner is urging residents to object to plans for a housing development ‘practically at the foot’ of Jodrell Bank’s Lovell telescope near Holmes Chapel.

David Johnson, of Booth Bed Lane, Goostrey, says this is the last chance for people to protest against the housing appeal submitted by Gladman Developments Ltd for 119 homes on land off Main Road, Goostrey.

Jodrell Bank was this year chosen as the headquarters of the world’s largest radio telescope after members of the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project expressed their preference for the site.

The SKA telescope, estimated to be worth £1bn in private sector investment, is said to be capable of looking ‘all the way back to the aftermath of the Big Bang’.

But David says the planning application will compromise all recent investment while also jeopardising the future of world-leading astronomical and astrophysical sciences and its inspiration to children.

He added: “Permanent damage to [Jodrell Bank’s] ability to effectively observe pulsars and other distant objects key to their critical scientific work, due to radio frequency interference generated by the new houses and cars on any such large development within the two-mile south-west-facing radius.

“It would ruin the greenfield landscapes vital to the rural amenity of this small Cheshire village. Traffic and pollution would dramatically increase, beyond sustainable levels for the small village’s infrastructure.

“It would turn a small rural village into a suburban town and ruin it completely.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “Jodrell Bank Observatory objected to this planning application on the basis of it impairing the operation of their radio telescopes.

“This objection was one of the reasons why the application was rejected by Cheshire East Council. This decision has been appealed by the developers. The council is now preparing for the appeal supported by expert advice from the observatory.”

Recent investment in the site includes a £16m upgrade to the Lovell telescope dish, a £12.1m Lottery funded new visitor pavilion, a £100m grant from the government towards the SKA project and a £1m upgrade to infrastructure by Cheshire East.

The closing date for comments is October 15. To view the appeal go to www.planningportal.gov.uk/planning/appeals/online/search using planning inspectorate appeal reference APP/R0660/W/15/3129954.

The Chronicle contacted Gladman Developments Ltd for a comment but they had not responded by the time we went to press.