Hope for green belt as population growth cut

REVISED FIGURES COULD IMPACT ON CONTROVERSIAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

A GREATER Manchester borough’s population is predicted to grow at a much slower rate than expected – and it could impact on a major housing framework and the use of green belt land.

New figures have revised Wigan’s growth down by 53 per cent, the largest reduction in projected population rises across Greater Manchester.

The data will form part of the formula used by the combined authority as it produces its new draft of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework – a blueprint for development across the region until 2035.

But there will be a further wait to see if it means fewer houses are required in the borough as the authority is expecting another set of figures before it produces a fresh draft.

Council leaders agreed on a new timetable for the GMSF at the combined authority’s latest meeting.

A report said the new projections, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), show an overall 15pc reduction in population growth by 2036, around 43,000 fewer people across Greater Manchester.

In Wigan, a 53pc decline in growth means 11,100 fewer people than the previous projection.

Areas such as Rochdale and Oldham will have a greater growth rate, according to the new figures.

“All districts are still projected to experience growth but overall growth is significantly down on that in the 2014 sub-national population projections,” the report adds.

The new figures will be used alongside a second set of national forecasts, due in September, which will help form the basis of the revised GMSF blueprint.

Town hall leaders, therefore, agreed to consult on the next draft of the framework at their October meeting with a 12-week public consultation due to start in November.

The original draft of the GMSF, designed to outline housing and employment space for the next two decades, had been scrapped by mayor Andy Burnham.

It had sparked a public outcry for earmarking green belt land for development. A rewritten version was due to be released earlier this year but was delayed to take into account the new population forecasts. Several locations across Wigan had been earmarked for almost 25,000 houses in the initial draft in addition to vast employment sites. Presenting the report at the latest Greater Manchester Combined Authority meeting, Salford mayor Paul Dennett said: “We’re currently waiting for the sub-national housing projections which will be produced by the ONS in September but at this stage we can’t fully predict what the relationship between the (two sets of figures) actually is. That information is vital in understanding the housing need across GM within the spatial framework and also our local plans.” Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham told the meeting: “It’s been right to take the extra time, I don’t think anyone across GM would thank us for rushing ahead on the wrong figures. “The need is to get this plan right for the long-term. “Now we have this revised timetable it’s clear we need to press on and deliver to this timetable.” Andy Burnham

A spokesman for Wigan council said the authority would not be able to comment until the new draft is finalised.

Speaking in response to the new figures, Coun Michael Winstanley, leader of the Tory opposition group on Wigan council, said: “I certainly welcome the revised figures as this does demonstrate a radical reduction in the expected increase in population over the coming years.

“However, it does call into question the whole premise on which the original GMSF was based. It also calls into question why Wigan were so keen to put forward more land than they needed to and I do know that my colleague Coun James Grundy did raise this at the time of publication.”

He added: “Whilst I welcome the figures in this report, we will wait for the detail of the plan to see what areas remain. Andy Burnham made a number of pledges during his election campaign and now we will see if he is as good as his word and if he does protect the green belt.”