PLANS FOR 800 HOMES ON GREENBELT LAND IN IRLAM HAVE BEEN SCRAPPED FOLLOWING LONG FOUGHT CAMPAIGN

Plans to build 800 houses on Land North of Irlam Station (Chat Moss) have been removed from the Greater Manchester Local Plan following campaigns by both Labour councillors, Action Against Rural Development (AARD) and the now disbanded CORE party for which Irlam Live organiser, Darren Goulden, had previously held a seat.

The former Cadishead councillor for CORE had won a seat on the council after challenging the original Greater Manchester Spatial Framework plan which he described 'Deeply Flawed'.

The disputed peatland between New Moss Road and Astley Road, is part of the natural carbon sink and is home to a wide variety of native species of plants and fauna. 

The number of houses planned at Chat Moss had already been halved from what was originally proposed in a previous draft document published in 2019.

Both Irlam and Cadishead already suffer from historic traffic problems due to its geographical location and the lack of exit routes in and out of the area, the addition of 800 new homes would have had an impact not only on traffic but also other resources in the area such as school places, doctors, dentists etc...

Councillor Lewis Nelson had been seemingly at odds with many of his fellow councillors at the time who maintained that the land was 'degraded' following decades of draining and agricultural activity.

He firmly stood his ground, using common sense to argue against the plans and gained allies within his area with the appointment of councillors Yolande Ghola and Hannah Robinson-Smith who are more aligned, both sharing his vision.

Lewis has earned the respect of both his local community and Salford at large, having been an ardent campaigner for the local greenbelt since an early age. He was a familiar face at the anti-fracking protests in Barton Moss and was vocal about the damage to the community it would bring, before he took up position on the local council.

All three Labour councillors and campaigners have campaigned hard to ensure that the greenbelt land remains for future generations to explore and enjoy.

The formerly proposed site at Irlam is the only one to have been removed from the local plan.

Cadishead and Lower Irlam Councillor Yolande Ghola , Lewis Nelson for Cadishead and Lower Irlam , and Hannah Robinson-Smith for Cadishead & Lower Irlam, have issued the following statement:

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"The planning inspector has issued action points in relation to the Places for Everyone Plan with huge news for our community.

"The Inspector has ordered 'Land North of Irlam Station' (the 800 houses planned to be built on the moss) to be REMOVED from the plan, keeping the greenbelt and peatland that has protected the moss for decades intact!

"It was 10 years ago that residents first came together to defend the land off Astley Road, and at every opportunity since, we have fought together for Chat Moss.

"We are proud to have been on this journey with the community; using our votes in council, our voice, time, and influence to put a stop to building on our most precious moss. This is our whole community's victory!

"There are some people we would especially like to thank: Dave Steel, Phil Legerton, Jim Ness, and Frances Henry from Action Against Rural Development (AARD). We cannot tell you how many hours they have spent working in defence of Chat Moss, trawling through the documentation, and crafting arguments to best fortify the moss from the housing developers.

"Notable mention must also go to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Natural England, who have been extraordinary in their efforts to defend peatland moss from development

"This really is a HUGE win for our community, 'Land North of Irlam Station' is the only site to be taken out of the plan in the whole of Greater Manchester, and all other greenbelt/peatland sites have (in effect) been approved for allocation by the inspector. The fight will continue for protecting the peatlands, and we support fully Natural England's efforts to get a national stop on building on peat.

"But, for us as a local community, the imminent threat of 800 homes being built on our moss has been neutralised at least!

"Thank you to everyone who fought together with us to achieve this. Victory!"

Councillor Mike McCusker, lead member for planning, transport and sustainable development, said:

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“We’re disappointed with the inspectors’ recommendation that the infrastructure-led North of Irlam Station allocation be removed from the Places for Everyone, particularly as this was based on representations from Natural England who substantially changed their position very late in the examination process, despite having had ample opportunities to make their revised position clear earlier in the process. 

“We will be writing to Natural England to understand their proposals to accelerate peat restoration on Chat Moss, in line with Greater Manchester’s overall aims. 

“We recognise the value of restored peat land, but believe that the prospects for its restoration of the North of Irlam Station allocation are very low.“