Back in October, Salford City Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority released two massive documents which will, in effect, set in stone all the development in the city for the next twenty years; the Salford Local Plan and the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.
By 2035, Salford is expected to provide 15% of all new housing in Greater Manchester - 34,900 properties complete with large scale destruction of the Green Belt as part of what is being called the Accelerated Growth Scenario...
While the proposals will affect every part of the city, nowhere has opposition been more vehement than in Irlam and Cadishead, where huge public meetings have been held, thousands of people have signed petitions and a campaigning Facebook site called Planning For Our Future in Irlam and Cadishead has almost 3,000 members (see here).
Irlam and Cadishead is set to be the site for 2,250 new homes in what is being called a "large-scale, sustainable urban extension" with loss of peat, mossland and over 1,000 acres of Green Belt land.
The deadline for responses to both the Salford Local Plan and the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) is next Monday, 16th January, and both the Planning For Our Future group and Worsley and Eccles South MP Barbara Keeley have slammed the proposals.
"Plans should not drive forward development at the expense of a good quality of life for current residents" writes Barbara Keeley in her official consultation response "Like many of my constituents, I have real concerns about proposals in the Framework which earmark substantial areas of Green Belt land for largescale development.
"This represents a short-sighted approach, which threatens the future of these much-loved areas of land" she adds "Clearly if developers are given the choice between developing a green open space or regenerating previously developed brownfield land, the choice they will make is obvious... I have serious concerns about the impact these proposals would have on the land, on the health of local residents, on infrastructure and on the environment."
She explains that, once Green Belt land is released, it will set a "worrying precedent for the future of other areas of our protected green space. In effect this decision could open the floodgates for further changes to our Green Belt policy".
During a recent debate in Parliament on the GM Framework, twelve Greater Manchester MPs, out of 14 who turned up, objected to the development of Green Belt land...
"National planning policy on the Green Belt is very clear" Barbara Keeley states "This land should only be developed in the most exceptional of circumstances. It should be protected from development wherever possible. The case simply has not been made for this to happen. The exceptional circumstances do not exist.
"It is unfair to develop these areas of land, which are highly valued by the local community, in an otherwise urban environment in Salford, in order to meet ambitious targets set for the whole of Greater Manchester" she insists.
Meanwhile, the Planning For Our Future In Irlam and Cadishead group (PFOF) has produced a 34 page document, not only slamming the proposals but adding alternatives.
The group argues that Salford Council blueprint "overlooks the potential of our versatile agricultural assets"; "disregards the human responsibility to protect wildlife and a very unique habitat"; "inadequately addresses the existing problems with infrastructure" such as roads, public transport, shortage of health, education and emergency services, and critically high levels of pollution". It adds that the proposals have also "overlooked suggested sites and housing developments already being progressed".
The group states that the traffic generated by over 2,000 new homes will lead to further congestion on the B5320 and A57 and increased traffic to the train station which will add to "a significant breach of air quality and deterioration in the health of local residents".
The loss of agricultural land "will limit the ability of the nation to produce its own domestic food supply, and therefore constitutes a future food security issue" it adds "and with the onset of Brexit this situation will only be exacerbated. It is unsustainable to limit the ability of future generations to produce enough food to feed themselves."
Meanwhile, states the group, vital ecosystems and sensitive natural habitats around Chat Moss will be destroyed which provide homes for hundreds of bird species, including 18 red list bird species and over 27 amber list bird species.
"Due to the multiple reasons listed, Planning For Our Future do not feel that the 'Exceptional Circumstances' stated by Salford City Council are justification enough to move the Green Belt boundary and re-designate a substantial amount of Grade One Greenbelt land" the group concludes "The proposals would be contrary to local planning policy as they would result in significant adverse impact to greenbelt purpose and loss of the best and most versatile farmland, and would cause a significant increase in traffic on a local road network that is already over capacity."
As an alternative to the Green Belt trashing plans, the group is insisting on `Smart Growth', and points to brownfield sites that could accommodate around 600 homes, while insisting that "current and future housing projects across the city are counted
towards the overall housing figures required [for Irlam and Cadishead]".
The group also calls for "A commitment from the Council to fully engage with the communities of Irlam and Cadishead on future projects and developments in an open and transparent way to ensure all views and opinions are heard equally" and "A commitment from Salford City Council to pursue sustainable and environmentally
responsible development methods, investing in green innovation and building, in
respect of the area's huge ecological importance and value."
Planning For Our Future also quotes disgusted residents...
"I have looked at the proposed sites for development in Irlam and Cadishead and feel that if any more houses are built or any more industrial units are built then the
residents of Irlam and Cadishead will be prisoners" states one resident, while another adds...
"Chat Moss is a green lung for local people and for the City of Salford. The land is an important habitat for wildlife, a green space for local residents and could be a productive source of vegetables and crops to Salford. Under no circumstances should this land be developed for housing. It should have a positive use, one which
is enjoyed by the entire community..."
The Salford Local Plan and Greater Manchester Spatial Framework consultations end on Monday 16th January
To view and comment on the Salford Local Plan click here
To view and comment on the GM Spatial Framework click here
To sign the Save The Green Belt in Irlam and Cadishead Petition click here
There is a protest march this Sunday, 15th January against the GM Spatial Framework for people in Tyldesley, Mosley Common, Boothstown and Higher Green, Astley. The march will commence at two points. Mort Lane and Higher Green and meets up at Mosley Common adjacent to the Park for details see the Facebook event page click here
There is also a GM Spatial Framework Discussion Group on Facebook click here
For full details of both the Salford and Greater Manchester proposals see previous Salford Star articles....
Salford Council Local Plan for Next 20 Years of Development - click here
Salford Green Belt Attack in Greater Manchester Planning Diktat - click here
Salford Councillors Issued With Idiot Sheet on Green Belt backlash - click here
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