Bury council has approved three masterplans that will see around 6,300 new homes built on countryside and greenbelt land, prompting a heckler to shout 'traitors' during the meeting. The plans cover 406 hectares at Elton Reservoir, Walshaw, and Simister Bowlee, and also include three new primary schools, five local centres, a new Metrolink tram stop, and two major roads.
Masterplans Aim to Increase Council Control
Council leader Eamonn O'Brien argued at the cabinet meeting that the masterplans give the Town Hall more control over developments. Without them, he said, there is a risk of applications falling below council expectations. The documents set out guiding principles for infrastructure, environmental mitigation, and housing provision.
O'Brien told elected members: “Ultimately, it’s about trying to win those arguments for if these things are not delivered. We then have the democratic right and power to push back on that and reject those. I view these as positive frameworks. I think they are about ensuring places come forward properly with consideration of residents, traffic, flooding, biodiversity. That doesn’t mean we can have no impact on anyone anywhere, but it is about delivering alongside it the best possible suite of infrastructure.”
Public and Political Opposition
During the meeting, a woman in the public gallery shouted 'traitors' as councillors voted to adopt the plans. She had earlier accused members of backing development to avoid it affecting their own wards, saying: “If it’s on our doorsteps, it’s fine. The minute it’s on councillors’ doorsteps, they don’t want it.”
Conservative group leader Shahbaz Arif criticised the decision, stating: “The Conservative Group has always believed that our greenbelt should be protected. Once greenbelt has been built on, it is gone forever. We have listened to local residents and we share their concerns about the impact on traffic, local services and the loss of our greenspace.”
Pragmatic Approach from Labour Councillor
Labour councillor Charlotte Morris, who had argued against including the Walshaw site in the Places for Everyone policy, said: “We do have to be pragmatic in these scenarios. A plan is better than no plan. My plea, my challenge, my point is that we all need to hold developers' feet to the fire on this. If we agree [the plans] tonight, we’re saying ‘we back this because a plan is better than no plan’ and we want to see that plan delivered with the infrastructure that’s going to support this development in our communities.”
The principle of the developments was approved through the Greater Manchester Places for Everyone allocations, adopted after examination by the Government’s planning inspectorate. Planning permission will still be required for each site, and developers must prove schemes will not have unacceptable impacts on nature, residents, services, or roads.
