Politicians in Bury have clashed over whether to withdraw from a Greater Manchester housing plan which will have a major impact on green belt land in the borough.
The leader of the council, Cllr Eamonn O'Brien said that withdrawing from the Greater Manchester Places for Everyone plan would be "highly irresponsible" despite pushes for Bury to opt out of it.
Levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, recently said the government is planning to ditch top-down housing targets so councils can decide how many homes they need to build.
Withdrawing from the Greater Manchester masterplan has been recommended by Bury Conservatives, who believe that if the council set their own housing targets, green belt land can be "saved".
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Bury Conservatives leader, Cllr Russell Bernstein, said: “‘Bury Conservatives have consistently fought against Bury Labour's plans to butcher our precious greenbelt.
“We have done this over the ill-fated Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) and will continually do so about Places for Everyone.”
The new plan replaces the GMSF after Stockport pulled out over green belt concerns.
The long term development plan now involves nine of the 10 boroughs in Greater Manchester, aiming to cover housing, industry, transport and jobs.
Read more: JAMES DALY - 'The council need to withdraw from Places for Everyone'
Quoting Mr Gove, Cllr Bernstein said: “The plan-making process for housing has to start with a number.
“This number the Secretary of State said, should be an advisory starting point a guide from that is not mandatory and our precious green belt should be protected.”
Despite concerns over green belt land, Cllr O'Brien said "abandoning a plan would be highly irresponsible".
He said: “As the government’s planning inspectors have made clear, there have been no changes made to the current arrangements on the government’s mandatory housing targets.
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“It would also leave us open to speculative planning applications on the green belt, without any protection or guarantees around infrastructure.
“Therefore, until any changes are confirmed, we must remain within the plan and the current process.”
Cllr O’Brien added that 20,000 new jobs could be created and a nationally significant employment site within the borough as part of the wider Atom Valley economic zone.
He said: “To throw away this opportunity when local businesses are crying out for more employment land and the country desperately needs growth, would be a huge step back for Bury and our ambitions to deliver inclusive economic growth for the benefit of local people.”
“It also begs the question, why the Conservative Party in Bury have been misleading residents about the nature of these targets.
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“For years they have been claiming they are not mandatory, but it is now clear to everyone that it has been Conservative policy to push for mandatory housing targets.
“Their claims simply cannot be trusted.”
The Bury Conservatives have put forward a motion to withdraw from the Places for Everyone plan on Wednesday, January 18.
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