Volunteers who spent hundreds of hours transforming a green space at the heart of a 'depressing' estate in Radcliffe now face losing it to development. Bury Council has confirmed it is considering disposing of the site, known locally as Milton Meadow, to a developer with a view to a school being built there.
The Milton Road estate is one of the most deprived in Greater Manchester. The meadow is used by dog walkers, for annual bonfire night celebrations, and as a space for children to play. A group of volunteers took on maintaining the space in 2023 after receiving permission from the council. The agreement allowed Growing Radcliffe Together to use and maintain the land at least until October 2027.
From wildflower vision to 'heartbreaking' damage
Radcliffe First councillor Ken Simpson, one of the volunteers, said the vision was to turn the space into a wildflower meadow. The group cleared and thinned hedges, secured planters, and planted bulbs. They intended to lay paths through the meadow this year.
But in January, Coun Simpson received a 'panicked phone call' from a neighbour who had seen machinery on the site. He described the damage: vehicles had crushed wildflowers and gone across bulbs that were just flowering. 'It was quite heartbreaking,' he said.
When Coun Simpson asked the town hall what was happening, he was told bosses were considering building a pupil referral unit there. That facility would replace the temporary unit on Whittaker Street, run by Ash Grove academy. Pupils can be placed in a PRU if they have been excluded from mainstream schools or if they have additional health or education needs.
Council confirms early-stage plans
Workers were again spotted on the field in July. The council has now confirmed it is considering disposing of the site to a developer with the view to a school being built there. The plan is in the early stages, with no formal decisions yet made.
A council spokeswoman said the council recognises the strong views of residents and 'welcomes constructive engagement' over the plan. She said the volunteer group does 'not have a formal lease' and the 2027 end date would 'allow plenty of time for the council to undertake public consultation'. The proposed school would 'play an important role in supporting vulnerable young people successfully return to mainstream education where appropriate and at the earliest opportunity'.
Volunteers and residents react
Coun Simpson said the hundreds of hours of work to improve the meadow had been 'basically been wasted'. He said: 'We cannot spend any more money on this field because the council are obviously going to take it back because of what they've done already.'
A number of neighbours said they do not believe the green space is the right place for the pupil referral unit. They cited narrow roads, additional traffic and parking concerns, and the impact on their lives. A woman who has lived in Milton Road for more than 16 years said she was 'shocked' the council was 'even considering this'. She said: 'It's not an ideal place to build a unit in the middle of a housing estate. It's just going to cause so much disruption, and the road isn't wide enough if all the vehicles are going to be parked up and down the road.'
Lab technician Gill Smith, 58, one of the volunteers, said there are 'better places' for the school to be built. She added: 'It's not got very good access, it's in the middle of an estate with a lot of social housing. It's all narrow roads, there are a few ways in and out but they're not very wide. I don't know about parking. It probably won't be good for the local residents. It's being used for the community, and people having access to green spaces is supposed to be a priority, isn't it?'
The council spokeswoman said no decision has been made to proceed with development at Milton Road. The proposal remains at feasibility and design stage, and a number of formal decision-making and consultation stages must take place before any decision is reached. Officers have been carrying out technical assessments, including ground investigations, design work and planning advice, to establish whether the site is suitable. The council said these assessments have been minor and have not resulted in any major disturbance of the plants, flowers or grounds.
The outcome of public consultation in Radcliffe will form part of the subsequent decision-making process. Should any proposal progress, planning matters would be considered independently on their merits through the statutory planning process.
