Protect our Green Belt! 

I have just had sight of a draft plan, the "Greater Manchester Spatial Framework", to develop 225,000 new homes across Greater Manchester over the next 20 years. I am shocked and angry that this draft plan proposes over 8000 houses to be built on precious green belt land in Woodford, Heald Green and Cheadle Hulme.

The draft plan shows an astonishing lack of vision and no real ambition or foresight, and whilst there is a need for more housing across the country, this should never be achieved by the indiscriminate development of our green belt.

Once the green belt is lost it is lost forever.

These proposals constitute a significant risk to much of Cheadle’s green belt, and demonstrate that there is still some way to go before all other options are exhausted.

There is an urgent need to identify all suitable brownfield sites, including ones in and around Stockport – as well as urban areas across the Greater Manchester city region – where the communities would benefit from the additional investment generated by regeneration projects.

I have previously campaigned to protect areas of Cheadle from inappropriate development. Should these plans go ahead, they will not only devastate our countryside, they will also put unprecedented pressure on our local infrastructure and undermine our communities.

It saddens me immensely when I consider the implications of losing our precious green belt, especially on our children and grandchildren who will no longer be able to enjoy the countryside.

This draft plan will be considered by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority next week and if agreed will be subject to consultation, so I urge local people to examine the plans which you can see here:

http://gmsf.objective.co.uk/file/4216139

I have also launched a petition to show the level of support for protecting our green belt, which you can sign here:

www.maryrobinsonmp.wixsite.com/protectthegreenbelt

You can also print and sign, then return to me free of charge my written petition. Details and link to download here.