The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, or GMSF, which sets out the amount of development that can take place in all ten boroughs of the region, is hitting another storm, after councillors in Stockport delayed acceptance of the plan in their town, forcing Salford City Council to withdraw a motion of acceptance last week (see here).
Now, Salford Conservative opposition councillors, Robin Garrido and Darren Ward have called in the decision by City Mayor, Paul Dennett, to recommend acceptance of the draft Framework.
The GMSF proposes 1,100 properties, initially, rising to 1,400 if the infrastructure is in place, on Green Belt land north of Irlam Station. It also proposes to lose 320,000 square metres of Green Belt north and west of Barton Aerodrome for an expansion of warehousing at Port Salford, as well as erecting four hundred dwellings on Hazelhurst Farm in Little Hulton, plus three hundred 'top end' properties on Green Belt land East of Boothstown. Altogether, there will be only 262 truly affordable properties out of 2,100 proposed.*
The councillors have called in the decision on the basis of the following...
Due consultation and the taking of appropriate advice from officers...the councillors argue that even the Council report states that the Framework plans have not been subject to review by the relevant departments either within or external to the Council.
Respect for human rights...the councillors argue that 44,000 responses were received about the two draft Frameworks that have been presented, and a large proportion of them were against the proposals..thus "the human rights of the respondents to a better quality of life have been disregarded".
Due consideration to be given to alternative options...the councillors argue that not enough consideration was given to alternative brownfield sites, and that there's been an over estimate of the number of houses needed for Salford over the period of the Framework (until 2037). They state that the actual need for Salford is 22,848, whereas the Framework proposes 28,560.
Wednesday reasonableness...The councillors argue that, because of the points above, plus the lack of protection for moss land and farmland, and the lack of infrastructure to accompany the developments, the decision isn't 'reasonable'.
The call-in means the Council has to re-visit the decision and this will take place at a special meeting of the Growth and Prosperity Scrutiny Panel this Friday, 27th November at 2:30pm.
Update: Three days after this article appeared, the Mayor withdrew his 'decision' on the GMSF, and decided not to have decided to recommend the decision to Council.
*For a full background see previous Salford Star article - click here
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