Conservative leader's column: an opportunity to deliver house building whilst protecting our green spaces and local heritage

John Taylor is the leader of the local Conservative party in Rochdale and a councillor for Wardle and West Littleborough.

This month he dedicates his column to address the building of new houses and the greenbelt.

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Last week at the full council meeting we could have taken a huge step forward in terms of saving our green spaces. Instead, we shuffled forward but at least that was movement in the right direction. As an eternal optimist I welcome any movement in what I believe is the right direction and I do believe there may be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel now.

This all stems from the Secretary of State, Right Honourable Member of Parliament Michael Gove’s announcement of what I consider to be seismic changes to house building requirements and I welcome his announcement. 

In a nutshell the key changes will be;

• Housing targets will be advisory rather than mandatory.
• The 20% buffer zone will be abolished.
• Transitional arrangements where conurbations such as ours will be introduced.
• Local Plans will ensure community participation in decision making.

I cannot overemphasise the potential benefits these changes can bring and in response I was very pleased to present a motion to council effectively asking for those changes to be embraced. I have always recognised the advantages of a strategic vision for the development of housing provision across the borough and indeed across the wider conurbation of Greater Manchester.

I recognise equally the need for a strong but flexible strategic housing strategy with a clear focus on the wider economic benefits and affordable housing too. A dynamic plan capable of responding to an ever changing economic and demographic landscape is precisely what is needed.

Similarly, I have always been an advocate for local people having a strong voice and real influence over the decisions affecting them and their families and as such when the Labour group tabled an amendment to my motion I voted for it despite it being cautious in the extreme.

Listening to our communities, delivering community empowerment our protecting our villages from the unnecessary urban destruction will always be at the top of my list of priorities as an elected member and I will do all that I can to make those objectives and values become a reality.

The changes announced by Michael Gove provide a genuine opportunity for change. With the removal of mandatory targets and the twenty percent buffer, the unnecessary and unwelcome greenbelt housing allocations can quite simply be removed from the Places for Everyone plan without compromise to delivering affordable housing where needed coupled with economic growth through initiatives such as Atom Valley. In simple terms Places for Everyone can now provide a brownfield plan across the wider conurbation supported by a local plan with community involvement should further development prove to be necessary in the future.
 

Read more: Atom Valley plans given green light by Greater Manchester leadersPublished: 03 August 2022

Government has listened and I thank all those pressure groups, elected members and MPs who have worked tirelessly to make this a reality. As a result we now have an opportunity to deliver a strategic plan we can all support with local decision making retained by our council and most importantly, community involvement.

This is an opportunity to deliver exactly what our communities want and exactly where they want it in terms of house building whilst protecting our green spaces, our local heritage and the characteristics of our areas that make them unique. It also addresses the unnecessary infrastructure – less development that is blighting our roads and essential services including doctors, dentists and hospitals to name but a few.

It is an opportunity we ought to grasp with both hands on behalf of our communities and in my eyes it is an absolute no brainer. Anyone who genuinely believes in brown field development first will embrace these changes.

As I write and as you read this it is the season of goodwill, a time to enjoy Christmas with friends and family and for us all to count our blessings. It was a pleasure to judge the Christmas shop window displays in Littleborough recently along with colleagues and it was brilliant to see first hand just how many of our local business’s embraced the occasion and took part. Well done to all involved.

It was also a pleasure to volunteer at the Littleborough Christmas light switch on – a very popular event this year and it was great so see so many local people enjoying the occasion. Similarly, it was a also a pleasure to attend our Civic Carol Service at St. Chad’s Church and one at St. Aiden’s too. Both were moving and uplifting services whilst reminding us of those less fortunate than ourselves. I am looking forward to Christmas Eve and volunteering in Wardle village once more with carols around the Christmas tree and I’m sure it will be as popular as ever and that event certainly marks the start of Christmas for me.

Finally, let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year.