Bury to progress plans for 6,250 homes on former Green Belt
A combined 1,000 acres at Elton Reservoir, Walshaw, and Simister Bowlee are allocated for residential development in the Places for Everyone joint spatial plan for Greater Manchester.
Bury Council’s cabinet will meet next week to sign off a trio of draft development frameworks for consultation, which map out how up to 6,250 homes might be delivered across the allocations.
Elton Reservoir
Comprising 600 acres south of the A58 and north east of Radcliffe, Peel Land’s Elton Reservoir allocation is earmarked for 3,500 homes, a primary school, a local centre, and a new Metrolink stop on the Bury line. 284 acres remain designated as Green Belt.
Walshaw
Some 160 acres located less than 2km west of Bury town centre and earmarked for 1,250 homes, a local centre and a primary school. The Walshaw Consortium, featuring Wain Estates, Bloor Homes, and VHW Land Partnership, are promoting the scheme.
Simister Bowlee
Situated adjacent to Heaton Park and on either side of Heywood Old Road, the Simister Bowlee is mostly within Bury’s borders, with 1,350 of the proposed 1,550 homes to be located within the local authority’s borders. The others are located in neighbouring Rochdale. Like Walshaw and Elton, the masterplan features primary school provision. Northern Gateway Development Vehicle is the main land promotor.
Around 1,500 of the planned homes across the three neighbourhoods would be delivered on affordable tenures, according to Bury Council.
The three draft development frameworks total 328 pages and can be viewed on the agenda for Bury Council’s cabinet meeting next week.
Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, Leader of Bury Council and cabinet member for strategic growth, said: “The three strategic sites at Elton Reservoir, Walshaw, and Simister Bowlee represent a unique and exciting opportunity to create well‑planned, well‑connected communities that are carefully integrated into their natural surroundings and supported by new infrastructure.
“This is about more than just building new homes – it’s about shaping places where families can grow and where people have the schools, transport links, and amenities they need to thrive.
“Together, these developments will provide lasting benefits for Bury and the wider region for generations to come.”
Why can’t the headline be Bury to progress plans for 6,250 new homes on sites allocated for housing in PfE?
By Anonymous
It took me 1 hour last night at 18-00 to travel from Ainsworth to the M66 . Walmersly Rd is as bad if not worse. As is Bolton access. The roads can’t cope . Emergency Services sit in traffic ques just like everybody else. No new local G.P. offices. No new schools , Are they trying to Kill Bury and the people. A very real possibility. This is fast becoming a VERY dangerous place to live.
By Ian.
Shame. There goes the Green Belt.
By Anonymous
Its not wanted from the majortiy of Bury folk. They cant even repair their existing roads either, the majority of main roads are in a dire state. Yet they want to add 15,000 more cars onto the already gridlocked streets. Its all about the ££££ and no care towards residents.
By PS
What about high schools &doctors
By Anonymous
How can you allow these money people too just cause Irreversible damage too our local communities. How many people decide, 10 ? 20. Look at the city centre. It’s damaged beyond saving now. These people are making Life decisions? and gone in 5 years? I’m worried. Darren in Bolton.
By Darren
I work for United utilities, Wastewater devision. Where’s all this waste going? ? Into an already Overloaded treatment works that nobody thinks about once they’ve flushed all sorts down the bog too. Grrr.
By Darren
Over development without thought..65% of Greater Manchester Spatial framework could be built on Brownfield sites…
I blame Andy Burnham
Manchester City Centre completely over done with high rise blocks.
Only 5% green space…
Whose looking after the master plan????
🫣🫣
By Henry local
Bury can’t even keep it’s own roads free from potholes! The chaos with extra cars will be unbelievable. Let alone the devastation on the wildlife. My family has lived in Lowercroft/ Walshaw for over 200 years and it has been so sad to see the loss of diversity in the wildlife. The roads have become unbelievably crammed. Enough is enough, time to leave the wildlife to have the space it needs and keep our beautiful countryside free. ( What is left of it)
By Jenny Johnson
It’s not greenbelt.
By Anonymous
Much against these but if they have to go ahead will they be truly affordable homes? I doubt it.
By Anonymous
Utter rubbish,bury council destroying lives of people with constantly destroying green belt. Wildlife ruined communities ruined. Already enough traffic through walshaw. You won’t be happy until there is a major accident,disaster.
By P Glover
It extremely dangerous of overdrive and overcrowding in one local without NHS, dental, office which is completely unacceptable those areas because of caused by dangerous to human and Air pollution. Better to reject immediately.
By G J Kitchener
Woh 284 acres left at elton. You lot usually do what you want anyway !
By Christine thomas
The roads are already gridlocked in the Walshaw area at peak times. What about medical and dental provisions? Mile lane medical centre is already at stretching point.
By Anonymous
3,500 homes at Elton Reservoir is a village. It’s a huge development. Squashing in as many tiny, overpriced houses, that no-one will be able to afford….Also it’s not a former green belt, it’s still a green belt, right up until they start destroying it for the new development.
By Anonymous
Too many green belt areas getting destroyed. Animal habitat ruined
By Anonymous
Infastructure,infastructure,infastructure???
By Anonymous
The Bowlee site is a going to cause huge amount of environmental damage. The village od Simister is about to be erased and the traffic problems on the A576, Middleton Road will become a nightmare. There are not enough schools or other facilities to support 1500 homes there
By Anonymous
Are you going to build new schools and better roads.
By Toni Harrison
Heywood Old Rd already seriously affected by traffic by traffic problems particularly in the morning . Was a major bus route to Manchester but withdrawn service in 2013 and never reinstated. Many houses on septic tanks so no thought whatsoever about waste management and an horrendous assault on this beautiful area. Appalling plans.
By Pete
Bury Council doesn’t have much homes for bid for big families there is alot of people who are living overcrowded like me for 1 and they always say affordable but don’t give us Council people an opportunity to have a new home because they expect people who haven’t got alot to buy a homes
By Debbie
Disgusting taking green land away
By Anonymous
Has anybody on Bury Council seen the state of all the main roads into and out of bury between 7am and 930am and then from 3pm until 630pm. How are all these people going to get to their new homes in Elton and Walshaw – helicopters, flying carpets? Because there is no way they will be able to do it in cars or on buses because the roads are already gridlocked every single day through the week. Anytime it looks like they have eased off this council starts a new round of roadworks and messes up the traffic light system so traffic can’t flow. I presume this is another plan drawn up off a map like the unbelievably stupid one way plan in Ramsbottom drawn up by planners who admitted they had never even been to the town and had drawn up the risible nonsense off a map. Bury’s town planning department needs to give its head a wobble and start again.
By Elton resident
@Elton resident
Unfortunately it’s you that needs to give your head a wobble. The article clearly states a new met stop will be provided. Take a deep breath and try again.
By Ok hun
More homes = more Council tax to help look after services and roads. If there is demand, there will be more Doctors and Dentists etc. Calm down. People say no one will be able to afford the homes. If that is the case, they will be empty…. but they wont.
By Anonymous