Residents described the draft local plan as “ill thought out”
Thousands of new homes are planned in Stockport (Image: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
A group of residents will protest against plans to build of homes in their Stockport neighbourhood. Earlier this year, a legal document outlining development in the borough revealed that historic green belt land could be used to build homes in the area.
Some 27 sites were chosen to accommodate 8,965 units. The 219-page document listed sites outside of the existing built-up area across the borough where the homes would be built.
They include some previously developed land, as well as land labelled as ‘grey belt’. ‘Grey belt’ refers to land that is protected but is considered to be ‘poor quality’ and, accordingly to Labour, should be built on.
The plans drew much criticism, with council leader Mark Roberts, a Lib Dem, saying the town hall was ‘forced’ to look at using green belt land by the Labour government. Last year, the new government increased housing targets for councils in England.
However, the other nine Greater Manchester councils did not see their target change because they were part of Andy Burnham’s ‘Places for Everyone’ (PfE) masterplan, the blueprint for development across Greater Manchester that allowed some boroughs, like Salford and Manchester, to build more than they needed to, and other more rural areas to build less.
Stockport was initially part of the plan, but its Lib Dem group voted to leave the PfE in late 2020. The vote meant Stockport would have to go it alone with its housebuilding programme, which is why the Labour government gave it a new, specific target last summer.
The Save Bosden Farm and Offerton’s Greenbelt group will hold a protest to oppose the draft local plan, which could see just under 1,000 homes built around the estate that borders Marple and Hazel Grove.
The demonstration will be held place on Offerton Road, near the Bosden Farm Estate. Protesters will be particularly focused on the proposals for 200 homes on Sanderling Road, 500 on Cow Lane and 150 houses on the brownfield land of the Offerton Sand and Gravel site on Marple Road.
Demonstrators want voice their concerns about the flooding risk; infrastructure issues; the dangers to wildlife; and the erosion of green spaces they say new developments could cause.
Organisers want to raise awareness and are urging locals to respond to Stockport council’s consultation regarding the plans, which ends on December 21.
Group member Gillian Karle said: “We feel the plan in Stockport is not proportionate to what’s going on in the country. We’re quite a big estate and there are three areas where they want to allow development. We’re anticipating that they’re going to do executive style homes on all three sites.
“We’ve got access and egress problems on all sites. It’s the usual story, but for us, it’s even more so. There’s absolutely no infrastructure in place or proposed at the moment.
“The roads are chock-a-block. Ambulances can’t get through the roads in Hazel Grove now, so I extra traffic on the road is just a really, really, ill-thought out plan.
“I’ve lived here for 23 years and it’s always been green belt. It’s a really, lovely, semi-rural area. We accept that change has to happen, and we accept that there will be some development. But it’s what’s proportionate to the area and what the proposing is completely disproportionate.
“And that’s what we’re rallying against. We’re not rallying against development; we’re rallying against how they want to do it.”
Stockport council has been approached for comment.