‘Rewrite’ gives borough the biggest green parcel
UNDER the new ‘radical rewrite’ of the region’s masterplan, no borough is set to be greener than Rochdale.
There will be nine new parcels of land being designated as green belt for the first time as part of the draft, created when Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham ordered local leaders to go back to the drawing board over the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF).
Under the previous plan, which emerged in 2015, Rochdale was set to lose 4.6pc of its green belt.
However, Mr Burnham had an ambition for ‘no net loss of green belt.’
Due to bosses focusing more on ‘urban area’ sites, dropping the Lane End and proposal and reducing ‘green belt take’ at the Northern Gateway, Stakehill and Kingsway South sites there will be a loss of only 2.9pc – meaning 59.9pc of the borough will remain as green belt – the highest in the region.
Some current areas of green belt would be lost under the new plan, including at new sites at Crimble Mill, Castleton Sidings and Newhey Quarry.
However, while some 645 hectares of land are earmarked for development this will be offset by 175 hectares which are to be protected for the first time.
This land is split across nine different sites across the borough.
●●Land at Firgrove Playing Fields
These playing fields, off Belfield Lane, are sandwiched between Rochdale Canal in the west and the River Beal to the east.
The recreational facilities play host to a range of sporting activities, including football and rugby and there is also a play area.
The 16-hectare area is protected by independent charity Fields in Trust ‘into perpetuity.’
Although this is not equivalent to green belt designation it has led to accusations from some quarters that the amount of ‘new green belt’ in Rochdale has been exaggerated.
Liberal Democrat leader Andy Kelly has branded it ‘smoke and mirrors’ on behalf of the council.
However, local authority bosses will point to the fact this was not designated as green belt land in the earlier draft and would enjoy an enhanced level of protection should the new plan be adopted.
●●Littleborough
The ‘Pennine fringe’ town of Littleborough, in the north of the borough is earmarked for 300 new homes at Smithy Bridge and a further 210 within the Roch Valley.
But it also has the greatest concentration of proposed new green belt sites in Rochdale – part of a strategy to offset the impact of new developments while taking advantage of the leisure and recreational opportunities the area offer.
The largest of these is a 9.4 hectare area between Rochdale Canal and the rail way line.
Halifax Road runs to the east of the site, while immediately to the west lie the industrial units of CRP Ltd, PDS and Ken Mills Engineering.
And to the west of this site, just on the other side of Todmorden Road, is Town House Brook, where another 4.8 hectares of land is proposed to become green belt for the first time.
The second biggest area of new Rochdale green belt in the plan is land to north of St Andrew’s Church, in Dearnley. The 8.8 hectare site, off Arm Road, sits just to the north of New Road.
Also in close proximity are St Andrew’s CE Primary School, Dearnley Post ●●Maps of new green belt sites included in revised masterplan which include land (clockwise from top left); between the railway line and Rochdale Canal and at Townhouse Brook, both Littleborough; within Roch Valley, Smallbridge; at Firgrove Playing Fields; north of Shore and north of St Andrew’s Church, Dearnley; Office, Kingdom Hall and the Green Door Restaurant.
Nearby residential streets to the south are School Street and Crowther Street, while those to the west include Oakley Way, Wayfarers Way and Joseph Lister Drive.
The final allocation in Littleborough is a 2.7 area to the and north of Shore.
●●Land within Roch Valley, Smallbridge
At 69 hectares this is the biggest of all the green belt sites – but not the main contributor of ‘new’ protected land, as only nine of its hectares were not included last time round.
The site contains Clegg Hall Trout Fisheries and is easily accessible from Smithy Bridge Railway, which is close to its eastern border.
Just to the east is the suburb of Smithy Bridge and Hollingworth Lake, a renowned beauty spot that is one of the borough’s key tourism destinations.
As with land to the west of Stakehill Industrial Estate, the area has a rail line close by and has the potential to provide the recreation and leisure opportunities for visitors and future residents – some of whom may live in the 210 new homes earmarked for the Roch Valley. This site is essentially bounded by the River Roch to the north and the rail line to the south, while Albert Royds Street and the River Beal lie to the west.
Hursthead and Smallbridge lie to the north, while to the south are Firgrove and Belfield.
●●Land at Queens Park, Heywood
An award winning, 16-acre Victorian park, this much-loved area is adjacent to the proposed Crimble Mill and Mutual Mills development site.
Featuring tranquil gardens and a picturesque lake, it has been recognised with Green Flag status – the national benchmark for excellence in the management of parks and green spaces.
It offers a range of recreation and leisure facilities for visitors, while original buildings and structures include the Lodge House and Victoria Fountain.
However, as with Firgrove Playing Fields, the designation of this as ‘new’ green belt has been criticised. Conservative Councillor Pat Sullivan, claimed it is ‘ridiculous’ to include park land in the figure.
The spatial framework draft stresses that any proposal for the Crimble Mill site ‘should demonstrate how high quality physical and visual links to the park could be created’
●●Land to the west of Stakehill Industrial Estate, Middleton
At 47 hectares this one is the biggest single contribution to Rochdale’s 175 hectares of new green belt.
The extension of Stakehill Industrial Estate – also referred to as Northern Gateway 2 – has been scaled down significantly since the last spatial framework draft, allowing for this parcel of land to be added to the green belt.