The Tatton Estate is appealing against enforcement action taken by Cheshire East Council over land forming part of the site earmarked for a major new data centre in Little Bollington.
The council has issued an enforcement notice relating to a former construction compound on land south of Lymm Road, which was used during major motorway improvement works.
The land forms part of the wider site on which developer Innova is proposing to build the 60-hectare Spodegreen Data Centre campus.
However, Cheshire East Council has stressed that the enforcement action is unrelated to the proposed data centre development, for which no planning application has yet been submitted.
The development has attracted growing opposition from residents, with a Change.org petition launched by the Spode Green Action Group now approaching 3,500 signatures.
The land was used by civil engineering contractors from 2014 onwards during work on a link road to the M6, and subsequently during the conversion of the M56 into a smart motorway.
Temporary planning permission had been granted for the compound, but the council says the land was not restored as required once the construction work was completed.
A Cheshire East Council spokesperson told the BBC: "An enforcement notice has been issued in relation to the nearby former Costain compound on land south of Lymm Road.
"This facility was previously given temporary permission for local construction works but was not removed and remediated as required."
The Tatton Estate, which owns the land and has granted Innova an option to develop the data centre proposals, is challenging the notice.
It told the BBC it had been discussing a remediation scheme with the council, including landscaping proposals, but these had been rejected.
The estate said its appeal was based on arguments that some structures and hardstanding should be allowed to remain under permitted development rights, and that more time should be provided to complete remediation work.
Campaigners are concerned that the former construction compound could be used to support an argument that the land is suitable for development.
The enforcement notice itself does not determine whether planning permission should be granted for the data centre.
The Spode Green Action Group's petition, launched on October 15, had attracted just over 1,000 signatures by October 23 and has since risen to almost 3,500.
The group opposes the loss of what it describes as high-quality agricultural land and has raised concerns about the scale, electricity demand and environmental impact of the proposed campus.
Innova's proposals, first revealed by Altrincham Today in September, involve a campus-style development on land south of Lymm Road, north of the M56 and west of the A556.
The developer has previously said the scheme could create around 350 full-time jobs and generate approximately £20 million in additional business rates for Cheshire East Council.
Plans also include a solar farm, a district heating energy centre and a training facility known as a "Living Lab".
Innova has indicated that construction could begin within three to five years if planning permission is granted.
A formal planning application has yet to be submitted to Cheshire East Council.
