Bid to build 275 homes on green fields set to be the most opposed application in Bury’s history as more than 1,000 object

An application for a 275 home estate on former green belt land is set to be the most objected to planning proposal in Bury’s history.

An application for a 275- home estate on former green belt land is set to be the most objected to planning proposal in Bury’s history.

In the few weeks since Wain Estates submitted plans to transform currently publicly accessible green fields off Scobell Street, Walshaw into a housing, a whopping 1,038 people have submitted comments on the plans via the Bury Council website.

The vast majority of the submissions have been formal objections. The land near Scobell Street was taken out of the green belt and allocated for housing after Bury Council adopted the regional strategic masterplan Places for Everyone.

If approved, the Wain Estates application is the first phase of what could become 1,250 new homes on the wider plot in the semi-rural village of Walshaw.

Last month Bury Council adopted new guidance, known as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which will shape the development of sites at Walshaw, and another former green belt area at Elton Reservoir which is set for similar housing development.

The guidance sets out what the council will expect in terms of the scope and content of future plans for each site. The council said plans should include all the necessary supporting infrastructure such as new roads, education and healthcare provision, walking and cycling routes and recreation space.

They must also ensure that wildlife and heritage interests are fully considered, with each site achieving at least a 10 per cent net gain in biodiversity, and
that there is a strategy in place to deal with any wider environmental issues such as flood risk.

No date has been set for Bury Council’s planning committee make a decision on the plans, but it is likely to be considered later in the summer or early autumn.

Of the objections registered against the Wain Estates planning application, many include the themes of potential loss of green land, the effect on wildlife and the pressure but on local roads and other services.

One objection, said: “The local infrastructure, including narrow roads and already congested junctions, cannot support additional traffic. “Scobell Street also suffers from frequent flooding due to inadequate drainage, which would worsen with further development.

“Additionally, the land supports local wildlife and provides vital green space for the community’s wellbeing. “The strain on local services like schools and healthcare would further harm the area.

“Developing on greenbelt land is unnecessary when alternatives exist. I urge the committee to reject this proposal based on its environmental, infrastructural, and social impacts.”

Stephen Cluer is an organiser with community group Bury Folk Keep It Green, which strongly opposes the plans.

He said: “With more than 1,000 objections on the planning portal the application to build 275 homes on the fields in Walshaw is probably the most objected to application in Bury planning history. “Our members believe the plan will not deliver affordable homes for Bury residents and have all raised serious concerns about how the current infrastructure and services will not be able to cope.

“In addition the site at Walshaw was deemed one of the least viable for development during the examination process and being at the opposite side of Bury to the main planned employment site at the Northern Gateway doesn’t make much sense.

“It will be interesting to see how the council vote on the application this summer.” A design and access statement in support of the plans by developers Wain Estates, said: “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.

“The Walshaw masterplan aims to deliver high quality new homes within a distinct setting, while providing accessible routes to access urban amenities and opportunities.”

Speaking in April after the council adopted the SPD guidance for the Walshaw development, the authority’s leader, Eamonn O’Brien said the sites
were needed ‘to help address the acute need for housing in the borough’.

He added: “However, we also want to ensure that the sites are developed appropriately and are supported by necessary infrastructure with a clear phasing strategy. “This SPD sets out more detailed guidance on what the council will expect to see in the future masterplans and phasing strategies for both sites.

“These SPDs, and the future masterplans they will help to shape, will reinforce the infrastructure guarantee we set out in PfE. “This means that if the necessary infrastructure is not delivered as part of the development, the development will not happen.”