Thorny question of building on green fields arises for councils
THE 10 councils across Greater Manchester could be forced to consider building on coveted green land if the city region fails to keep up with the demand for 10,000 new properties year.
Trafford Council leader and deputy chairman Sean Anstee of the Local Government Association hinted difficult decisions over building on green land may have to made, if supply cannot match that requirement.
He told a devolution and growth seminar hosted by the British Property Federation at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall the councils in Greater Manchester may have to take a “sensible approach” because there clearly green spaces available.
Cllr Anstee said was speaking guardedly, reluctant to pre-empt the discussions on the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework which will produce its plan for the region in 2017.
“I don’t really want to say more than I have ahead of the GMSF which allows us to look at land across green field, brown field, residential and land development,” he said.
“Whatever happens, if we do it across the whole of Greater Manchester it should alleviate the pressure on green space. We are committed to looking at all the evidence before the plan is produced in 2017.”
Cllr Anstee’s comments come amid fears Greater Manchester could run out of homes for families in the next 10 years.
According to the Department of Communities and Local Government, in Greater Manchester, there were 1.18m homes in 2014, up by 4,170 from 2013 – a rise of 0.4pc – and well short of the 10,000 per year target.
