William Wragg, the Conservative MP for Hazel Grove Constituency, led a debate in Parliament today (Wednesday 14th December) about the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.
The debate was organised by Mr Wragg the day after he and a group of other Conservative MPs from Greater Manchester submitted petitions on behalf of thousands of local people protesting out against building on Manchester’s green belt as proposed by the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.
The debate was attended by MPs from both the Conservative and the Labour Parties from across Greater Manchester. Twelve MPs spoke out against the building of huge new housing developments on the Green Belt around Greater Manchester. Many raised concerns on behalf of their constituents about the importance of protecting green spaces and the countryside, about the immense pressure new developments would place on transport and other public services, and about the need to regenerate town centres and develop brownfield sites instead.
Many MPs, including Mr Wragg also questioned the methodology behind the framework, the practicality of its housing targets, and the Combined Authorities failure to join up the thinking around the Spatial Framework with other policies like transport or healthcare strategies.
During the debate, William Wragg said:
“From the thousands of residents who signed local petitions to the number of MPs from right across Greater Manchester who are here today, the strength of local opinion is clear to see: the green belt should be protected. Developing vacant brownfield sites that have previously been used for commercial or industrial purposes, is more suitable for house building. They are closer to the urban centres, retain the countryside, boost regeneration, and ease transport pressure.
“If we make sites in the green belt available, the volume house builders will develop these first, and make the case that sites in our towns are unsuitable or unprofitable. Once they have developed on the green belt releases, they will come back for more before they even look at urban land. Therefore the opportunity for real regeneration in Stockport, and other Greater Manchester towns, will be lost for a generation.
“I and the thousands who signed local petitions are not against house building itself, we recognise the urgent need for new homes. But we believe brownfield sites should be prioritised for the building of houses. This not only protects the countryside, but focuses development where regeneration is needed and where the necessary infrastructure already exists.”
Also speaking in the debate Labour’s shadow spokesperson for planning Roberta Blackman-Woods MP said there was “complete lack of an evidence base at the moment, to allow the building on green belt.”
Responding to the debate, the Minister for the Northern Power House, Andrew Percy MP, said: The Government was “seeking the prioritisation of brownfield sites for development”; and “reaffirmed the Government’s target that 90% of brownfield sites suitable for housing development receive planning permission by 2020”; and were “accelerating the disposal of surplus public sector brownfield land for development”.
Mr Percy also confirmed that the housing target in the Spatial Framework was set by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and not by Central Government.
The Greater Manchester Draft Spatial Framework is currently open to public consultation until December 23rd 2016.
You can WATCH the debate by following this link: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/15dca4d1-5d28-491a-889d-b559fc1f0a01