This Council notes that:

In December 2022, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities made a statement in the House of Commons in relation to an update on the Levelling up Bill.

This statement represented a move away from top-down, mandatory housing targets.  

The Secretary of State further added it will be up to Local Authorities, working with their communities, to determine how many homes can actually be built, taking into account what should be protected in each area, including green belt land.

This Council believes that:

Every part of the borough should be afforded fair and equal treatment when it comes to providing access to nature and wildlife and protecting what remains of our green spaces.

Trafford Council has recently focussed substantial energy on preserving green spaces in the north of the borough, and now will seek to find similar ways to protect those in the south of the borough.

The site of the former municipal golf-course William Wroe - which spans both sides of the Manchester to Liverpool railway in Flixton - was removed from the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (the predecessor to Places for Everyone) and now enjoys ‘field of trust’ status. 

The Council recognises the lengthy work which be required to submit all such green spaces to Fields of Trust; and agrees to find alternative ways to protect vulnerable green space in the south of the borough from development.

This Council recognises that:

Tackling the housing crisis is essential in order to provide fairer futures for the next generation; 

A plan that works for all of Trafford Borough is best developed in Trafford Borough, by this Council and in consultation with the people we represent;

Plans to develop Timperley Wedge would remove the last large open green space between the already heavily developed urban areas of Timperley and Hale Barns, thus removing the ‘green lung’ between those communities and the airport; 

The density of the housing means the current ‘Timperley Ward’ has one of the lowest percentages of green space of any ward in Trafford and the further increase in density resulting from building large numbers of houses and office buildings on Timperley Wedge would be detrimental to the area;

Council Officers have confirmed that there is sufficient brownfield space in Trafford for more than 16,400 dwellings.  A ‘brownfield first’ approach can provide Trafford with the homes it needs and should be pursued more vigorously;

The fact that Trafford are invested so heavily in a new road in Carrington means the location is far better suited and has greater community support to provide new homes to meet the borough’s needs.

This Council resolves to:

1.          Withdraw Trafford Borough from the Places for Everyone Plan as an immediate priority.

2.          Develop a joint approach to calculating housing need though community consultation; with a reinforced ‘brownfield first’ policy and a focus on ex-industrial clean up and use of brownfield sites.

3.          Reaffirm the commitment, made by this administration in 2018, to the preservation of Green Belt land at Timperley Wedge

4.          Failing the above the Council seeks an urgent review of housing allocations in Places for Everyone Plan, to ensure the numbers are reduced and are reduced specifically on Green Belt sites.

RESOLVED: That the Council notes that this Motion has been withdrawn.