Greater Manchester are assessing the “strategic sites” for house building. The only site in Saddleworth is the Fletchers former paper mill in Greenfield and the plan is for 120 houses and 100 lodges. Given previous lodge conversions it is likely that means 220 new houses. Strategic sites such as this are supposed to come with infrastructure investment to help with transport, school places etc. but there seems little detail of such proposed investments.

You can see the Liberal Democrat response at this stage here

Comment on the strategic sites for housing by 23.59pm on Monday16^th January and get ready for the next stage

The email address is: GMSF@agma.gov.uk  The postal address is: Greater Manchester Integrated Support Team, PO Box 532, Town Hall, Manchester M60 2LA.

The Next stage: Saddleworth is vulnerable

Finding large sites in Saddleworth is difficult so it makes Saddleworth particularly vulnerable in the next stage when they look at smaller sites. This could see our protected green spaces and greenbelt eroded piece by piece. What also makes this worse is that the supposed investment in infrastructure supposed to take place under the “strategic sites” would not take place. That could mean huge loss of green space, lots of new houses and no infrastructure investment.

98 new sites have been offered across the borough in addition to the ‘strategic’ sites. None have been accepted or rejected and they are not yet publicly announced for consultation – many will be in really sensitive open spaces and would have a devastating effect on our local communities if developed.

Dozens of sites in Saddleworth still under threat of housing development include land in:

DIGGLE: Holly Grove

Dobcross:  Sandy Lane, Long Lane, Lark Hill Road, Dobcross New Road, Delph New Road , Wall Hill Road (Temple Bar farm and off Broadgate)

Denshaw: Delph Road near Range Lane, off Rochdale Road and off Rippendon Road / Dumfries Avenue

Delph:  Near Stoneswood retirement hom

Austerlands: Off Woodbrook Road, off Huddesrsfield Road opposite Old Lane

GREENFIELD:

• near the junction of Stockport Road and Manchester Road;
• between Greenfield Station and Oaklands Road
• near Dacres Hall
• between Shaw Hall Bank Road and Huddersfield Canal

FRIEZLAND: the Pony Field off Armit Road

LYDGATE: off Platting Road/Burnedge Lane

GRASSCROFT: at Summershades, off Oldham Road

UPPERMILL: at and behind Uppermill Bus Turnround

GROTTON: off Coverhill Road

Further information will be available after the “strategic sites” Be ready to comment under this consultation process.