Andrew Gwynne MP Councillor George Newton Councillor Claire Reid Councillor Jack Naylor Labour's elected representatives in , . Team Denton South

Wednesday 30 September 2020 via email

Dear Elise,

RE: Invitation to Haughton Dale Local Nature Reserve in the Tame Valley

We are writing to you as the Elected Representatives for the Denton South ward which, in case you are not aware shares a border with MBC and indeed the Bredbury and Woodley ward.

We are writing to invite you to visit, at your earliest convenience, the area where the Tame Valley crosses the border from Tameside to Stockport, as we would like to be confident you appreciate the natural beauty of this part of the Greater greenbelt, as at the moment we are not sure this is the case.

We are sure like us you do always try to do your absolute best for your community, and for us a large part of that includes protecting the health and wellbeing of all the residents as well as the environment.

That is why for some time we have led the campaign to oppose the planning application to extend Bredbury Industrial Estate, and we have received intensive and abundant support from our community, and the Stockport community, in this objective.

Extending the Bredbury Industrial Estate in the way that is outlined in the recent planning application would destroy a large portion of our very precious Tame Valley, a resource that is enjoyed by thousands of residents from Tameside, Stockport and further afield every year.

We as the elected representatives simply cannot see how this is justifiable, quite frankly it is environmental destruction.

At present, Stockport’s proposals for the Spatial Framework not only do not add any protections to this precious area of greenbelt, but take the horrifying approach to remove it from the greenbelt completely eliminating any protections. Stockport’s approach of wishing to use the GMSF to declassify this very important section of green open space as greenbelt and redesignate it as industrial land is all but guaranteeing the developer will have their planning application, which seeks to bulldoze the countryside, approved.

Currently in planning law the presumption would be to refuse a planning application of this nature on this site. The changes to the land designation being brought forward in the GMSF under YOUR leadership would mean the presumption in planning law would be to approve this kind of planning application and enabling the destruction of our precious Tame Valley.

Stockport’s own Local Plan does not currently permit any development in this area, and the Core Strategy actually goes further with regards to employment and states the Borough does not require any more employment land. You are able to view this assertion at point 3.238.

Referring in more detail to your Adopted Plan and the policies that still apply from the former UDP, you will understand the importance of point 2.8: Landscape Character Areas (LCAs) where: screening unsightly existing development, by making waterside areas more attractive or through additional landscaping.

These waterside areas are listed as:

A. Woodford B. Heald Green Fringe C. Ladybrook Valley D. River Mersey E. Tame Valley F. Brinnington East G. Goyt Valley H. Offerton/Poise Brook I. Hazel Grove/High Lane J. Mellor Moor K. Marple Bridge L. Ludworth Moor M. Etherow Parklands

Why then would Stockport feel it is in keeping with the Local Plan to introduce unsightly development to the Tame Valley?

I doubt yourself or other Members of Stockport Council would tolerate the enabling of this kind of development in any other of these areas listed above, so why is the beautiful Tame Valley being subjected to it? We can only imagine it is because it would in fact be Tameside which will bear the brunt and not Stockport. This is hardly maintaining a neighbourly approach to development, and we would go further to say it is holding Tameside in complete contempt.

To add insult to injury 2.9 of the same document states ‘where development is permissible under other policies of the plan it should be carried out in such a way as to make a positive contribution to the surrounding landscape’. Not only are you removing precious greenbelt you are enabling development which couldn’t be further from a positive contribution. Furthermore when turning to LCR1.1a THE URBAN FRINGE INCLUDING THE RIVER VALLEYS it is very clear ‘proposals for development in the urban fringe should protect, conserve and improve the landscape quality and natural history of the locality, and encourage the development of a variety of attractive landscape types’.

We also cannot understand why you as Leader of Stockport Council would wish to pursue a development that does not act in accordance with the following policies:

2.23 RIVER VALLEYS - Since the 1970s the Council, in co-operation with other agencies, has pursued an integrated approach to environmental protection and recreational provision in the Borough’s four river valleys (the Mersey, *Tame, Etherow/Goyt and Ladybrook). The Council recognises the distinctive history of the valley areas and the importance of a co-ordinated and consistent approach.

2.24 The river valleys are considered in the context of the objectives of Stockport's Action plan for Nature, 2000. This sets out The Biodiversity Action Plan for Stockport, which contains a series of Habitat Action Plans and action plans for key species that are of conservation importance in the Borough. The 'Water courses Habitat Statement' is of particular relevance. The Greater Manchester Biodiversity Action Plan provides a county, regional and national context.

If Stockport’s own core policies, put together with public involvement through the democratic process, are very clear on these issues why then is Stockport MBC pursuing a redesignation of this land that completely goes against these policies? It is simply unfathomable.

Here in Denton, and Tameside, we always strive for a neighbourly approach, not least to protect the prized River Valleys through the spirit and the letter of the planning policies of the Joint Tame Valley Committee so we are able to preserve this precious gift bestowed by Greater Manchester Council all those years ago.

Sadly, Stockport’s current ambitions do not honour these high standards.

We therefore very much hope Stockport will reverse their current position and join Tameside in protecting all of our River Valleys for generations to come.

We can only imagine that you as Leader do not have an adequate understanding of the site and the destruction this development will have to our shared border and beautiful countryside. That is why we would like to invite you to the area so you can see for yourself the abhorrent nature of what the developer, and indeed Stockport’s proposal for the GMSF, is proposing for our area.

We are sure as the Leader of Stockport Council you are aware that Denton already has some of the worst air quality in the Greater Manchester area. It is a fact that some of this is as a result of the wagons and HGVs that already chug down the A6017 to access the existing Bredbury Industrial Estate as a consequence of the low bridge at Bredbury, an issue Stockport Council refuse to do anything about, and we can simply not allow the air our children breathe to become more polluted on account of Stockport’s greed for an egregious and unnecessarily large industrial estate.

We ask you to think again, to put the future of our boroughs first, and to protect our precious greenbelt for generations to come.

Please do take us up on our invitation to visit the site and assess the devastating impact Stockport Council’s enabling of a developer to bulldoze our countryside would have on our precious Tame Valley, and do not let greenbelt destruction become your legacy as Leader of Stockport Council.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Gwynne MP Councillor George Newton Councillor Claire Reid Councillor Jack Naylor

cc - All Stockport Councillors Chief Executive of Stockport Council William Wragg MP MP Mary Robinson MP , Mayor of Greater Manchester Leader of Tameside Council Chief Executive of Tameside Council Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Diane Coffey & Amanda Millward, Save Woodley Greenbelt Group