The Petition of residents of Irlam, Cardishead and Barton,
Declares that the Petitioners strongly oppose the proposals of Peel Holdings to build up to 1,400 houses as well as warehouses in the green belt area at Barton (Irlam ward), which is bound by the M62 (North), A57 (South), Manchester City Airport (East) and Irlam (West); and further that the Petitioners believe that Boysnope Golf Course (an excellent leisure facility for the local community) should not be shut down.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons does all in its power to prevent this development proposal from taking place.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Barbara Keeley, Official Report, 9 July 2014; Vol. 584, c. 403 .]
[P001351]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, received 15 September 2014:
The Government’s objectives for the planning system are set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. Relevant policies in the framework will be a material consideration whenever a local authority is working on its local plan or determining a planning application.
For instance, the framework maintains strong protections for the green belt. This Government continue to attach great importance to green belt as a way to prevent sprawl and encroachment on open countryside, and as a vital ‘green lung’ for many communities. The framework makes clear that openness and permanence are essential characteristics of green belt. It also states that inappropriate development should not be permitted there except in very special circumstances.
Green belts are designated by local authorities, not central Government. Alterations to a green belt boundary can be made, but only in exceptional circumstances, using the local plan process. This is for the local authority to propose, as part of the local plan process. By ending regional housing strategies and the ‘top-down’ pressure they exerted on local authorities to review the extent of their green belts, this Government strengthened green belt protection: local authorities are now fully responsible. If any conflict of policy or planning priorities arises, it is for the local authority to weigh all the material considerations and decide what is right for the land in question.
Because of the quasi-judicial role of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in the planning system, neither he nor any other Minister may intervene in, or even comment upon, any planning application. It is for local authorities to assess and determine planning proposals, and therefore a strict duty of impartiality is in place.