Save Greater Manchester’s greenbelt for our children is the rallying cry from protesters urging supporters to join their protest in Manchester city centre on Saturday.
Campaigners will mass in Albert Square at 1pm to rally peacefully against the lack of sustainable housing on brownfield sites in the city’s expansion plans.
The Save Greater Manchester’s Greenbelt (SGMGB) chairman Steven Longden said: “We must protect this natural environment and secure it for future generations.”
Save Greater Manchester’s Greenbelt is an umbrella association representing many of the local groups across Greater Manchester. Its aim is to support affordable housing on brownfield sites and seek to protect all greenbelt for future generations.
Campaigners claims the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) lacks a sustainable vision for the provision of housing on brownfield sites across Greater Manchester and is planning to build on greenbelt sites instead.
SGMG said that GMCA’s proposal is to decommission greenbelt land to enable house and office building is based on flawed population projections and a desire to increase council tax receipts by building large numbers of high value housing units on greenbelt land.
All the save Manchester’s Greenbelt, against the failed @GMSpatialFrame @greatermcr consultation ethos. Thanks @MancunianBirder pic.twitter.com/hHQXjUbYYF
— @McrShield (@mcrshield) February 5, 2017
Councillor Richard Farnell, GMCA’s Lead for Planning and Housing said: “While the vast majority of the plan proposes building within the urban area, including on brownfield sites, I know there are concerns around potential development on specific sites designated as green belt.
“I also understand that people want to see more detail on our plans for brownfield regeneration, infrastructure and transport to support this plan.”
The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework is proposing to build 2,800 new houses and 480,000m2 of employment floor space in Chadderton and its surrounding areas on land east and west of the A627M.
Save Chadderton’s Greenbelt said via its website: “Chadderton has a small but precious 160 hectares of green belt and these proposals will significantly reduce this.
“Much of the green belt to the rear of Chadderton Hall Park, Irk Vale, Chadderton Fold, Chadderton Heights and Cinder Hill Lane stretching up to Tandle Hills and beyond will be lost forever.
“This is part of a new joint plan by Greater Manchester’s Combined Authority to release large swathes of land from green belt from across all ten Greater Manchester’s boroughs to build new homes.”
The rally in Manchester marks the launch event for the Community Voice on Planning (COVOP) Month of Action.
The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) is a partner organisation which is supporting the rally and will be fielding a speaker on the day.
The event’s Facebook pages shows more than 200 people intending to attend the event in the centre of Manchester, with many posting messages of support.
A supporter of SGMG, Alexander Saffer, from Bury, said: “I believe in reusing and recycling brownfield first. The drive to develop on greenbelt is from developers not land owners, it stinks of corruption and greed”
For more details about the event here…
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