Revised version of Greater Manchester Spatial Framework published

Proposals outlining how Trafford will deliver thousands of new homes and jobs over the next 20 years have been unveiled - and the public is being invited to have their say on the plans.

The proposals form part of the latest version of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) which is due to be discussed by council leaders in the city region and GM Mayor Andy Burnham later this week (January 11).

The GMSF is the plan that will identify the land required to meet local housing and employment needs across Greater Manchester.

The proposed framework is a means by which the 10 Greater Manchester councils can plan collectively to deal with cross boundary and strategic planning issues.

Its aim is to ensure that the right land is available in the right places to deliver the homes, jobs and infrastructure needed in the coming years.

The first complete draft of the GMSF was published in October 2016, to which a large number of comments were received on the draft proposals. The main issue raised was about proposed development allocations on land currently within the Green Belt.

The revised version aims to make the most of Greater Manchester’s brownfield sites and reduce the impact on Green Belt. It will mean the following for Trafford:

  • 20,500 new homes
  • Around 690,000 sq m of industry and warehousing

Cllr Andrew Western, leader of Trafford Council, said:

We’ve listened to public concerns about allocating land on Green Belt. For example there will be no development on green belt land in Flixton.

The new plan reduces the amount of proposed development on Green Belt land in Trafford while at the same time meets our ambitions for economic growth.

Another priority for the Council is to build high quality homes which will contribute to meeting housing needs in Trafford. There will be a real focus on the delivery of affordable housing as part of development schemes across Trafford.  

This plan will also help us deliver the jobs to meet our aspirations over the next 20 years as we continue to make Trafford a great place to live and work.

A meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority is due to take place this Friday, January 11 at Trafford Town Hall. If the proposals are agreed an eight week public consultation will be launched. For more details about the framework visit the Greater Manchester Combined Authority website.

Once adopted the GMSF will become part of the statutory development plan for each of the ten local authorities in Greater Manchester. However the GMSF will not cover everything and Trafford will still need to produce a Local Plan which will provide further detail to cover local issues and demonstrate how the framework will be delivered on the ground.

Posted on Tuesday 8th January 2019