Plans to build up to 800 homes on Irlam’s greenbelt have been scrapped after ten years of campaigning to protect the moss.
The Places for Everyone plan, which proposed building up to 800 homes off Astley Road, on the land north of Irlam Station, has been scrapped by Inspectors after 10 years of campaigning by residents and local councillors.
The news of the quash was shared this morning (Friday 28 July) in an open letter shared by Cadishead and Lower Irlam councillors Hannah Robinson-Smith, Yolanda Amana-Ghole, and Lewis Nelson.
Original plans for the build were set to see houses built on 30 hectares of Chat Moss on areas which had “degraded due to decades of drainage and agricultural activity” according to planning documents.
The plans also outlined nine other developments across Greater Manchester, Irlam and Cadishead’s being the only one to be removed.
The open letter from the councillors read: “We are proud to have been on this journey with the community; using our votes in council, our voice, time, and influence to put a stop to building on our most precious moss. This is our whole community’s victory!
“This really is a HUGE win for our community, ‘Land North of Irlam Station’ is the only site to be taken out of the plan in the whole of Greater Manchester, and all other greenbelt/peatland sites have (in effect) been approved for allocation by the inspector. The fight will continue for protecting the peatlands, and we support fully Natural England’s efforts to get a national stop on building on peat.
“But, for us as a local community, the imminent threat of 800 homes being built on our moss has been neutralised at least!
“Thank you to everyone who fought together with us to achieve this. Victory!”
The letter also took time to thank multiple people involved in the campaign, including Dave Steel, Phil Legerton, Jim Ness, and Frances Henry from Action Against Rural Development (AARD), Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Natural England
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