A landowner has been sent to prison after refusing to comply with court orders to remove unauthorised buildings on protected Green Belt land in Adlington, near Macclesfield, Cheshire. Cheshire East Council said on 28 January 2026 that the landowner had been jailed for contempt of court after repeatedly failing to remove unauthorised development on land off Wood Lane in the village.
The unauthorised works included several buildings, fencing and areas of hardstanding used for vehicle access and parking. The owner was given multiple deadlines under a High Court injunction to demolish the structures and restore the land but, the council says, failed to comply.
The sentence comes weeks after Cheshire East Council voted in December 2025 to formally oppose proposals for a new town at Adlington that could include up to 20,000 homes. Council leaders said the enforcement action underlines that planning controls for Green Belt land will be enforced; the council has said it does not take custodial sentences lightly.
Local residents and campaign groups have been active in opposing both large-scale development proposals and ad hoc unauthorised works in the area. Local reporting has documented heightened community concern about property development in and around Adlington during 2025.
Cheshire East has pursued similar court action previously: in an earlier, separate case reported by the BBC a man (Michael Merrill) was jailed after failing to comply with orders to demolish unauthorised buildings. In the present case the council says the custodial sentence was imposed following contempt proceedings after repeated non-compliance with a High Court injunction.
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