First big Places for Everyone ex-green belt homes plan in Bury

The plans, in the Walshaw area of Bury, are for an area of green space allocated for housing within the Places for Everyone masterplan

Detailed plans for new 275-home estate on former green belt land on the outskirts of Bury have been published. Wain Estates intend to develop the fields close to Scobell Street and Church Street in the village of Walshaw.

The area, which once housed the village cricket pitch, was one of the green belt areas allocated for housing development when Bury Council adopted the Places for Everyone (PfE) masterplan, along with eight other boroughs in the region.

It is the first significant planning application for land taken out of the green belt by PfE in the borough.

The Walshaw area has been earmarked for up to 1,250 homes in the PfE plan which sets out housebuilding targets for nine of the 10 Greater Manchester councils until 2039. Stockport is the only area which is not included in that over-arching plan.

A planning application was lodged with the council in the past week. A design and access statement in support of the plans, said: ” The site comprises of 11.3 hectares.

“The site sits within a well-connected location, set entirely within the existing urban area of Bury. “A variety of local shops and amenities are located a short walk away, along Bury Road towards Tottington.

“These include primary and secondary schools, local doctors and dentists and local convenience stores.” “The aim of the overall masterplan is to create a sustainable and cohesive community that successfully blends with the existing communities of Tottington, Woolfold, Elton, Lowercroft, and Walshaw.”

Wain Estates added that the masterplan for the wider site has been endorsed by Bury Council and as a result it acts as a formal framework guiding development. Several objections to the Wain Estates plan have been published on Bury Council’s planning portal.

One opponent of the scheme, said: “This will take away from the only green belt area in Tottington and will also increase traffic in a busy area already. “It is home to wildlife such as deer and where will they go?

“Schools already cannot cope in the area with the amount of people.” Another objector, said: “This is a beautiful open green space, prime grazing for stock, and a habitat for a wide range of wildlife including deer, small mammals, and birds. “It is visited on a daily basis by walkers and their dogs.

“In summer it’s a glorious space with far reaching views. “In winter, areas are prone to flooding but equally beautiful, always a joy to visit.

“Development of this area will increase flooding around the local roads and homes, and increased traffic on Walshaw Road and Tottington Road. “These roads are not designed for this amount of use.

“It’s hard to imagine how there can be any improvements to the road structure to accommodate construction vehicles, without making life harder for residents in the area.”

Planners at Bury council will decide on the plans in the coming weeks.