Greater Manchester Green Belt Assessment FINAL REPORT Prepared by LUC July 2016 Project Title: Greater Manchester Green Belt Assessment Client: Manchester City Council, on behalf of Bolton MBC, Bury MBC, Manchester City Council, Oldham MBC, Rochdale MBC, Salford CC, Stockport MBC, Tameside MBC, Trafford MBC and Wigan MBC Version Date Version Details Prepared by Checked by Approved by 1 26/05/16 Draft Report Sarah Young Sarah Young Nick James Nick James Alex Burton Kate Nicholls Kieran Moroney Graham Cameron Ben Gurney 2 30/06/16 Draft Final Report Sarah Young Sarah Young Nick James Nick James Alex Burton 3 25/07/16 Final Report Sarah Young Sarah Young Nick James Planning & EIA LUC BRISTOL Offices also in: Land Use Consultants Ltd th Registered in England Design 12 Floor Colston Tower London Registered number: 2549296 Landscape Planning Colston Street Bristol Glasgow Registered Office: Landscape Management BS1 4XE Edinburgh 43 Chalton Street Ecology T +44 (0)117 929 1997 London NW1 1JD FS 566056 EMS 566057 LUC uses 100% recycled paper Mapping & Visualisation [email protected] Contents 1 Introduction 1 Study objectives and scope 1 Consultation 2 Report structure 2 2 Context 3 National Green Belt policy 3 Greater Manchester local planning policy 4 Green Belt guidance and case law 11 The Greater Manchester Green Belt 13 The character of the Greater Manchester Green Belt 19 3 Methodology 22 Part 1: Developing the methodology 23 Parcel definition 23 Assessment criteria 24 Part 2: Identification and assessment of land parcels 38 Desk based assessment 38 Field survey 39 Analysis 39 Consultation 39 4 Findings 40 Presentation of findings 40 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council 41 Bury Metropolitan Borough Council 45 Manchester City Council 48 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council 50 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council 53 Salford City Council 57 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council 60 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council 64 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council 68 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council 71 5 Conclusions and Next Steps 77 Conclusions 77 Next Steps 78 Appendices Appendix 4.1: Strategic Green Belt Area Assessment Appendix 4.2: Bolton Detailed Assessments Appendix 4.3: Bury Detailed Assessments Appendix 4.4: Manchester Detailed Assessments Appendix 4.5: Oldham Detailed Assessments Appendix 4.6: Rochdale Detailed Assessments Appendix 4.7: Salford Detailed Assessments Appendix 4.8: Stockport Detailed Assessments Appendix 4.9: Tameside Detailed Assessments Appendix 4.10: Trafford Detailed Assessments Appendix 4.11: Wigan Detailed Assessments Figures Figure 2.1: Extent of Green Belt in Manchester Figure 3.1: Strategic Green Belt Areas Figure 4.1: Bolton - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1a Figure 4.2: Bolton - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1b Figure 4.3: Bolton - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 2 Figure 4.4: Bolton - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 3 Figure 4.5: Bolton - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 4 Figure 4.6: Bury - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1a Figure 4.7: Bury - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1b Figure 4.8: Bury - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 2 Figure 4.9: Bury - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 3 Figure 4.10: Bury - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 4 Figure 4.11: Manchester - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1a Figure 4.12: Manchester - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1b Figure 4.13: Manchester - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 2 Figure 4.14: Manchester - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 3 Figure 4.15: Manchester - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 4 Figure 4.16: Oldham - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1a Figure 4.17: Oldham - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1b Figure 4.18: Oldham - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 2 Figure 4.19: Oldham - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 3 Figure 4.20: Oldham - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 4 Figure 4.21: Rochdale - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1a Figure 4.22: Rochdale - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1b Figure 4.23: Rochdale - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 2 Figure 4.24: Rochdale - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 3 Figure 4.25: Rochdale - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 4 Figure 4.26: Salford - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1a Figure 4.27: Salford - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1b Figure 4.28: Salford - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 2 Figure 4.29: Salford - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 3 Figure 4.30: Salford - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 4 Figure 4.31: Stockport - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1a Figure 4.32: Stockport - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1b Figure 4.33: Stockport - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 2 Figure 4.34: Stockport - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 3 Figure 4.35: Stockport - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 4 Figure 4.36: Tameside - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1a Figure 4.37: Tameside - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1b Figure 4.38: Tameside - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 2 Figure 4.39: Tameside - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 3 Figure 4.40: Tameside - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 4 Figure 4.41: Trafford - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1a Figure 4.42: Trafford - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1b Figure 4.43: Trafford - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 2 Figure 4.44: Trafford - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 3 Figure 4.45: Trafford - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 4 Figure 4.46: Wigan - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1a Figure 4.47: Wigan - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 1 - Criterion 1b Figure 4.48: Wigan - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 2 Figure 4.49: Wigan - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 3 Figure 4.50: Wigan - Performance against Green Belt Purpose 4 1 Introduction Study objectives and scope 1.1 LUC was commissioned on behalf of the ten Greater Manchester Authorities1 by Manchester City Council to undertake an assessment of the Green Belt within Greater Manchester. The Study was overseen by a Steering Group comprising officers of the respective authorities. 1.2 The overall aim of the Study was to assess the extent to which the land within the Greater Manchester Green Belt performs against the purposes of Green Belts, as set out in paragraph 80 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF): • to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; • to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another; • to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; • to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and • to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. 1.3 The NPPF attaches great importance to Green Belts and stresses that their essential characteristics are ‘openness and permanence’. It also advises that, once established, Green Belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances through the preparation or review of a local plan. 1.4 The broad extent of the Green Belt in Greater Manchester was established in the 1981 Greater Manchester Structure Plan and detailed boundaries were introduced in the Greater Manchester Green Belt Local Plan which was adopted in 1984. A full assessment of the Green Belt boundaries in Greater Manchester has not been undertaken since the original boundaries were adopted in 1984, although there have been alterations through individual Local Authority development plans where exceptional circumstances have required amendments, or where additional land was added to the Green Belt through Local Plans in the 1980’s and 1990’s. 1.5 The aim of this Green Belt Assessment is therefore to provide the Greater Manchester Authorities with an objective, evidence-based and independent assessment of how Manchester’s Green Belt contributes to the five purposes of Green Belt, as set out in national policy. It also examines the case for including within the Green Belt potential additional areas of land that currently lie outside it. The Study does not advise on the suitability or potential of land in Great Manchester for development. It also does not consider whether ‘exceptional circumstances’ exist or make any recommendations relating to the alteration or review of Green Belt boundaries. 1.6 There is an important difference between a Green Belt Assessment, which assesses the relative performance of the Green Belt, and a Green Belt Review, which looks at the need for areas to be removed or added to the Green Belt (for example to accommodate development). A Green Belt Review requires judgements to be made about the amount and location of land that should be added to or removed from the Green Belt, and is informed by a Green Belt Assessment as well as other planning issues. This Study is the former - a Green Belt ‘Assessment’. 1 Bolton MBC, Bury MBC, Manchester City Council, Oldham MBC, Rochdale MBC, Salford CC, Stockport MBC, Tameside MBC, Trafford MBC and Wigan MBC. 1 1.7 The outputs of the study, alongside other assessments will form a component of the evidence base informing the preparation of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF). This is a joint plan to manage the supply of land for housing