GMSF SPATIAL FRAMEWORK

PRESS RELEASE RECEIVED FROM CLLR. SUSAN HAWORTH 30/11/2016

November 29, 2016

Drop-in events for Spatial Framework

A series of drop-in events about the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) will be held in Bolton.

The GMSF sets out how much housing and employment land is needed up to the year 2035 and identifies a number of strategic sites across Greater Manchester to help in meeting these requirements.

In Bolton around two thirds – 10,000 - of the proposed 16,400 homes are proposed on urban sites, the majority of which are brownfield.

Bolton has worked with other Greater Manchester local authorities to produce the joint plan and the public are being invited to attend a drop-in event to find out more about the GMSF. The drop-ins will be an opportunity to meet with council officers on a one to one level.

The drop-in events are as follows:

·        Carnegie Hall, Market Street, Westhoughton, BL5 3AE, from 3pm – 7.30pm, on Thursday, December 8.

·        Friends Meeting House, Silverwell Street, Bolton, BL1 1PP, from 3pm – 7.30pm, on Tuesday, December 13.

·        Bromley Cross Village Hall, Darwen Road, BL7 9JG, from 3pm – 7.30pm, on Thursday, December 15.

Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Cllr Ebrahim Adia, said: “The Greater Manchester Spatial framework is designed to ensure that we are able to meet the economic development and housing needs for our borough in a planned and strategic way. This has been prompted by changes in Government policy which has increased house building targets for local authorities.

“Our focus in Bolton remains on ensuring we develop our brownfield sites first, and most of the sites that have been put forward for the framework are on urban or brownfield sites. However, there this is still a shortage of housing sites and it does mean that some areas of greenfield, greenbelt and protected open land are being considered for future development. We understand residents’ concerns about development on greenbelt and this is why we are consulting.  

 “Our intention is to develop a long term strategy where development is supported with the requisite infrastructure, rather than ad-hoc development on greenbelt through the appeals process.”

Public consultation on the draft GMSF runs from October 31 to 5pm, December 23, 2016.

For further information on the consultation, and to view and download the documents, visit www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/gmsf.

Responses to the consultation can also be made online at: Greater Manchester Spatial Framework - Consultation portal, by e-mail to gmsf@agma.gov.uk; or by post to: Greater Manchester Integrated Support Team, PO Box 532, Town Hall, Manchester, M60 2LA.

< ABAS is drafting letters to the relevant planning authorities in Bolton and in Greater Manchester setting out our views. These will appear on this blogsite in the near future.

An initial scan of the GMSF information to date by Jeff Gibson suggests that certain small sites in the Westhoughton area may be at greatest risk. We intend to check. >