A controversial plan to build 450 homes on green belt land in Worsley has been submitted to Salford city council. Residents turned out in force a year ago to register their opposition to the plan for the 42-acre plot on land known as Hazelhurst Farm between the busy A580 East Lancs Road and the slip road to the M61.
Following that consultation process, property giant Peel L&P has now tabled the £54million plan, but the Conservative opposition leader and local Worsley councillor Robin Garrido is already voicing strong objections to the move. He accused Peel of 'jumping the gun' ahead of the deliberation of the Greater Manchester's Places for Everyone (PfE) joint development plan which is still under public examination.
Coun Garrido said: "The PfE plan has not yet been approved by government inspectors. Until that has happened, they can't build on green belt land. Peel are entitled to put in a planning application which will then be considered by the planning panel [on Salford city council] but even if they approve it, they would not be able to proceed until PfE is approved.
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"Once again, we are seeing Peel bulldozing local communities. Their plan takes no account of the extra 1,200 -plus cars on a single-lane road in an area already severely congested with traffic. It's a history of Peel thinking they can do what they want.
"There's still a lot of fight left in the local people and we saw that in the elections where, against the national trend, they returned Conservative councillors who are supporting them." However, Nick Graham, associate director for planning at Peel L&P responded by saying the site proposed for development was to help address the 'chronic shortage of family and affordable homes in Salford and Greater Manchester'.
He said: “We recognise that the land is currently green belt, but it has been identified for housing in each version of the PfE and the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework as it has progressed over the past seven years. At each stage the proposed release of the sites from green belt for housing has been supported by Salford city council.
“The examination hearing sessions closed in March, and the Inspector’s initial findings are expected in the next few weeks. We are therefore working on the basis that PfE is likely to proceed to adoption in the near future so are gearing up for early delivery to help tackle the housing crisis, as soon as planning permission is granted. The plans are fully in line with PfE.
“We understand that some local people will be concerned about extra traffic and pressure on local services. We have consulted with the local community, listened and responded, and would encourage anyone concerned to read and understand the proposals and supporting evidence, then make their comments to the council.”
The Hazelhurst Farm plan has been tabled alongside another application from Peel to build 350 homes off Leigh Road, east of Boothstown and adjacent to the RHS Garden Bridgewater. Peel says the new homes would be ‘high-quality, modern and energy-efficient homes’.
Plans for Hazelhurst Farm include new community parks with areas for play and ‘habitat and wildlife enhancement’, improvements to Wardley Woods and a site for a new primary school.
A press release issued by Peel said of the two applications: “We have committed to creating mixed communities which provide 20 per cent affordable housing on each site as well as providing an additional contribution equivalent to 30pc of each site towards further affordable housing across Salford - resulting in 50pc affordable housing overall.”
It said both schemes would include homes that ‘are accessible for all, suitable for first-time buyers, up-sizers, down-sizers and for multi-generations to live under one roof’.
Northstone, Peel’s homebuilding arm, will construct the first phases - 65 homes at the east of Boothstown site and 157 homes at Hazelhurst Farm, which are being applied for in detail.
Annabel Baker, Peel L&P’s associate director of development planning, said: “We are delighted to be submitting planning applications for these two sites. The east of Boothstown site is a special location, able to provide some of the largest and highest-quality housing in Salford and Greater Manchester.
“We are excited to be able to bring forward such a strong landscape-led scheme that reflects its proximity to RHS Garden Bridgewater and the Bridgewater Canal and includes homes that are not just attractive but are sustainable to both build and run, with low energy costs. Hazelhurst Farm is an opportunity to provide much-needed family housing for Salford, also sustainably built and with low running costs.
“The scheme will not only benefit new residents but also the existing neighbours through the creation of accessible open spaces and play facilities which will improve habitats and access to Wardley Woods.
“Land for a new primary school will also be provided, to meet the growing school demand identified by the council, alongside funding for school places.”
She said the combination of affordable homes in both developments would address the council’s housing need waiting list and help those seeking help to get on the property ladder.
Ms Baker added: “A lot of work has been carried out to assess the potential transport and other impacts of these sites, including speaking to local people at our consultation events and we’re confident that the applications address the concerns raised.”
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