HOPES to build more than 2,000 homes on a controversial development have been boosted by the submission of an outline planning application.
Some 2,150 properties would be constructed at the Godley Green Garden Village in Hyde if formal permission is given to Tameside Council.
Now the first stage of the application has been submitted, along with further details on how it would look if it goes ahead.
Godley Green would be split across two villages, divided by Godley Brook, with 1,250 dwellings planned in the west and 900 in the east.
The western village would comprise of a local centre, education and sports provision cluster, while the eastern includes a centre with a community hall and cycle hub, a multi-user bridge connection to Hattersley, and sports complex to the south of Mottram Old Road.
Godley Green is supported with a £10 million grant from Home England while Electricity North West is also supporting ambitions for a zero carbon and green new community.
Tameside Council, which would need approval from the Government before any work can start on the contentious site, outlined its reasoning.
It said: “If the green light is given, the delivery of up to 2,150 dwellings would significantly boost the supply of housing in the borough and assist the council in meetings its long-term housing need, as required by the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework.
“Alongside housing delivery, which includes a minimum 15 per cent affordable housing provision, the scheme would deliver a host of other benefits including significant open space provision for the benefit of existing and future residents, job creation, and a host of ecological enhancement measures with the aim of increasing biodiversity by 10 per cent.”
And project lead, Councillor Ged Cooney, said: “We have to build more houses in Tameside and Godley Green is the best place for them.
“However, as I’ve said many times before, we’re not looking to throw up a concrete estate.
“Godley Green is a once in a generation opportunity to create a genuinely landscape led garden settlement that integrates with the existing communities as well as the rural surroundings, to provide new homes, employment, retail, social infrastructure, community and leisure facilities.
“This will be a garden village featuring high-quality housing with 15 per cent of it classed as affordable. That’s far more than the national target.
“The ambition is to be carbon neutral using a range of innovative sustainability measures. There will be a huge amount of green infrastructure including heat pumps and vehicle charging points.
“In total, we’ll be building on just 2.5 per cent of the borough’s green belt and whereas only one per cent of Godley Green is currently accessible, 50 per cent would be with delivery of the development.
“Godley Green will also be hugely significant in boosting growth and recovery of the local economy particularly in Hyde Town centre and Hattersley, resulting in the creation of over 550 jobs per year across a range of sectors spanning 15 years.
“If the council does not drive this project forward now, significant benefits for the borough would be lost and I’m confident that If people take the time to study what we’re proposing, they’ll agree with me.”
People will not be able to see the outline planning permission for a few weeks while it is validated.
Absolutely outrageous
Mass destruction of an important area of natural habitats
TMBC looking to get increased revenues from high value houses which will not be affordable to lots of local residents
There are plenty of brown field sites available in Tameside use those!!!
If this brings more families to Tameside where on earth are they going to go to school. Tameside can’t even offer local schooling to it’s current residents children. So much for eco buildings if you have to get in the car every day to take children to school because they won’t get in any within a walking distance. It’s an utter disgrace!