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   Barton Moss greenbelt plans ‘to be shelved’
by Tom Rodgers At a meeting of Salford Labour Party last night, councillors agreed that plans use greenbelt land at Barton Moss in Irlam for industrial employment are flawed and the community will turn them down. Strong and fervent protests have come in from community campaigners like Jackie Anderson and Christine Smith, and over 100 campaign members have protested from the beginning that they want to keep the Moss as farmland and out of Peel's development plans. Peel own the land, and as part of the Draft Core Strategy Salford Council had set aside 40 hectares as a potential area for industrial development. There have been protest walks and community protest meetings to attack the plans, given the special biodiversity of the Moss area and its importance as a buffer, or "green lung" between industrial and residential areas. The Council is current producing this key planning document, the Draft Core Strategy. The strategy has to find enough land to meet all the pressures for new homes and jobs over the next 20 years. One suggestion was that 1.2% of the city’s greenbelt in Irlam should be used for jobs and the greenbelt extended in Little Hulton to compensate. Councillor Derek Antrobus, Lead Member for Planning, was asked to report on the latest position to the Labour Party’s local government committee for Salford. He said: “I think it is fair to say that there has been overwhelming public concern about the suggestion. I welcome that because I would be more concerned if there wasn’t an outcry about the loss of greenbelt land. “But the objectors have also made telling points about the practicality of the idea. There are clear concerns about the way the need for employment land has been calculated. “Another major concern is about the impact on traffic. I don’t think we can say anything certain about that until Port Salford and the Reds Stadium are up and running. “We cannot risk the permanent loss of greenbelt land on the basis of evidence that is so uncertain. On the current evidence I would recommend that the Council rejects the option to allocate greenbelt land.” The statement was welcomed by former councillors Roger Jones and Christine Hudson who have joined the local community in objecting to the idea. In a joint statement, they said: “This is great news. It shows that a Labour council is genuine about consultation and listens to the arguments. It also shows how putting forward sound arguments delivers results – a contrast to the Tory strategy of hurling abuse from the sidelines. “The big debate now will be about those who want to support the Labour Council in protecting the greenbelt and those like Peel Holdings who want a mass of greenbelt to be released.” They also paid tribute to Jackie Anderson and her team who have organised the protests, meetings and petitions: "They have worked hard and also done their homework and we know that Councillor Antrobus was impressed when we met him to present our opposition to this proposal. He clearly listened to the views of local residents in making his decision.” The consultation for the Core Strategy has now finished and the next stage will begin in July 2010 when a firm set of proposals will be published.
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