Housing, Communities and Local Government
Save Romiley Greenbelt
The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,
Declares that the revised Greater Manchester Spatial
Framework should avoid the residential development of 250
units on the greenbelt at the site of Hyde Bank Meadows in
Romiley; notes that the proposed site contains well—used
community facilities of Tangshutt fields including,
playing fields, three football pitches, a children’s play
area, and outdoor gym; further notes the proposed site is
adjacent to Tangshutt Meadow, popular green space, a nature
reserve, community orchards and allotments, which are all
hugely valued by local people; further declares concern
about insufficient road access and increasing traffic
levels, endangering child safety by blocking a section the
‘Safe Route School’, loss of sports and exercise facilities
for both individuals and teams, and loss of community event
space which unites two areas of existing housing; further
declares such a loss of this green space would be damaging
to the local environment, the community, and the health and
wellbeing of local people; and further notes the
petitioners oppose plans for a new residential development
on Hyde Park Meadows as set out in the Greater Manchester
Spatial Framework—Revised Draft (2019).
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons
that the House of Commons urges the Greater Manchester Combined Authority,
the Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, and the
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government not
to support plans of this development.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Mr ,
Official Report, 12 March 2019; Vol. 656, c. 313
.]
Observations from the Minister for
Housing (Kit Malthouse):
The Government are aware that the planning authorities of
Greater Manchester are preparing the Greater Manchester
Spatial Framework and have recently consulted on a draft
Framework.
The Government are clear that Green Belt land is highly
valued and in 2018 published the revised National Planning
Policy Framework which continues and increases the very
high level of protection that Green Belt land has against
inappropriate development.
The Government are also clear that the country has a
housing crisis and that as a country we need to provide the
housing that is needed. To assist with this the Government
have set out a national method for determining the level of
housing need for each local area and we have set a target
of delivering 300,000 homes a year from the mid-2020s.
Local Plans are an essential planning tool to determine how
and where development and infrastructure needs should be
planned for and delivered. As the name suggests, these are
local tools which local planning authorities prepare, with
the appropriate engagement of their local communities.
Furthermore, whatever proposals local planning authorities
make in their local plans, these will be tested, following
consultation, by an independent Planning Inspector (or
panel of inspectors) at a public examination of the local
plan.
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local
Government has a quasi-judicial role in the planning
process. Therefore, while recognising that local people
will have strong views on these matters, the Government do
not make any specific comment on the proposals contained
within the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, but
would urge people to participate in the consultation and
engagement activities that are either underway or will be
established for any future consultations.
