At the March 2023 Trafford Council meeting, Conservative councillors brought a motion to the Council meeting to request an immediate withdrawal of Trafford Council from the Greater Manchester Places for Everyone Plan. Places for Everyone is a joint long-term development plan of nine of the Greater Manchester districts. In Trafford, the Plan has two strategic development allocations sites at Timperley Wedge and at New Carrington.
New Carrington is a proposed allocation for 5,000 homes in total and includes the release of 169 hectares of Green Belt land. New Carrington is also proposed for 350,000 square metres of employment floorspace for industry and warehousing. Timperley Wedge is a proposed allocation for 2,500 homes in total including the release of 100 hectares of Green Belt land. Timperley Wedge is also proposed for 60,000 square metres for employment land in total.
The motion brought to the Council meeting by Cllr. Dylan Butt and Cllr. Rob Duncan stated that as the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities had recently said that as it will be the responsibility of local authorities to determine how many homes can be built, Places for Everyone is unnecessary. In addition, the motion requested that Trafford Council withdraw from the plan; that housing need should be determined in consultation with the community with a reinforced brownfield-first approach and that Timperley Wedge and New Carrington should not be included as development sites in a future Local Plan. The ruling Labour Group on the council however voted against the motion and the council will remain in the Places for Everyone plan.
Commenting on the vote, Cllr. Dylan Butt, local government election candidate for Hale Barns and Timperley South ward said “Labour’s plan to build on Timperley Wedge will see the release of Green Belt land between Timperley and Hale and will reduce resident’s access to green, open space and will reduce physical activity opportunities at a time when the Labour administration are claiming that they are addressing the climate emergency and reducing health inequalities. Following the Secretary of State’s announcements, Places for Everyone is no longer required and the council should instead be making a public commitment to protect the borough’s precious Green Belt.”
Cllr. Rob Duncan local government election candidate for Manor ward added “Labour’s decision to reject the Conservative Group motion to protect Green Belt land will see the destruction of carbon capturing wetland moss and decimate wildlife at Carrington Moss.
“Although Trafford Council remains part of the Places for Everyone submission the council currently has no adopted Local Plan. As such the housing need calculation made within Places for Everyone is now obsolete and not in line with national guidance. It’s very regrettable that Labour has chosen to remain in a flawed plan which will decimate 269 hectares of precious Green Belt land in Trafford.”
