Dozens of houses proposed for Green Belt land

PART OF the Green Belt in Tameside will be turned into as many as 91 houses if planning permission is granted.

But those proposing to develop the land next to Matley Lane, on the border between Stalybridge and Hyde, believe it could benefit the area.

Metacre, based in Chorley, Lancashire, has approached Tameside Council with the approach to build on the land, which lies next to other houses.

And documents state why they believe the two, three and four-bedroomed properties, plus an area for up to three self-build plots, can be constructed, even though it is on the green belt.

Very Special Circumstances (VSC) exist that can enable such work to happen – the contribution the site makes to five purposes of including land within the Green Belt, no material impact on openness/natural rounding off of built development, landscape-led design, addressing local housing need in a sustainable location, addressing affordable housing and self-built needs, biodiversity net gain and community benefits.

And documents for the application state why it is believed this proposal meets them.

They say: “It is considered that the proposed development site at the outset contributes little to the Green Belt.

“The location of the site ensures that its development will not facilitate urban sprawl.

“The site is sustainably located adjacent to existing established residential development, a local public house, and is in close proximity to the designated local centre of Newton, approximately 850m from the site (10-minute walk).

“In this sense, it is considered the existing local infrastructure would easily be able to support development at the site.

“The site is small in relation to the wider area of Green Belt and is confined by existing residential development to the south west, Matley Lane to the west, and a dense row of woodland to the east.

“The presence of clear boundaries around the site ensure that development will be contained and ensures there is no clear means to extend built development further northwards.

“The development of this site will not result in or create opportunity for the encroachment of development into the countryside.

“The site is bounded by built development on two sides and visually protected by a line of dense woodland along the other. The site in isolation does not serve a strong or clear purpose in the wider Green Belt and does not represent land that would demonstrably be critical in preventing sprawl, preventing merging, and safeguarding encroachment.

“It is therefore considered that any harm arising to the Green Belt as a result of built development should be proportionally considered in this weak context.

“By releasing the site from the Green Belt, it will create a more logical and well-defined boundary more likely to support the purpose of the wider Green Belt and provide a more robust barrier to future encroachment.”

News of the plan has sparked anger from campaigners looking to protect the Green Belt but developers insist: “Greenspace, trees, and wildflower planting was shown as central to the design and the development proposed working towards a layout that was respectful of the importance of the local walking routes and offered the potential for biodiversity net gains, whilst also safeguarding as much of the open land as possible.”

New tree planting will be done within the site while landscape amenity areas will be set alongside the woodland area, which those applying say: “Creates wildlife corridors through the site and helps to increase bio-diversity.”

A pond will be enhanced as a wildlife wetland area and new native species hedgerow will be put around the site.

Documents also state: “There is potential to create informal play and discovery areas through the site.”

Traffic would access the development from a new junction that would be put in place and although it is admitted there will ‘naturally be a degree of impact during construction’ the view will not be ruined.

Documents continue: “There is opportunity for a well-designed development which maintains a visually softer green and vegetated frontage to Matley Lane.

“Over time, vegetation should establish to screen the majority of new built form, whilst still allowing visual green corridors through the site to the surrounding countryside.

“From more distant views from higher ground and ridge lines within the surrounding countryside it finds that due to the vastly wide ranging nature of these views and the comparatively very small area taken up by the proposed development there would be little overall impact.”

Tameside Council’s Speakers Panel (Planning) committee will decide whether to grant or refuse planning permission.