Richborough latest to seize Woodford opportunity
Ten acres of grazing land off Jenny Lane in Stockport could be redeveloped into 75 homes under outline plans put to the local council.
Land promoter Richborough is working with a private landlord to draft proposals for the redevelopment of the plot, bounded by Moor Lane, Woodford Road, and Jenny Lane.
Half of the homes would be delivered as affordable with just shy of five acres of the site retained as open space.
The site was previously earmarked for release from the Green Belt when Stockport was still involved in the joint spatial plan for Greater Manchester. The plot formed part of a wider allocation capable of accommodating 2,400 homes called the Woodford Opportunity Area.
However, Stockport pulled out of what ultimately became Places for Everyone and the site is now being promoted as meeting the criteria for Grey Belt as Stockport works up a refreshed local plan.
Richborough’s scheme is one of several coming forward in the area. Others include plans from Harrow Estates to expand Woodford Garden Village and Miller Homes 130-unit scheme off Moor Lane.
The borough has a housing land supply deficit and is able to demonstrate sites for less than two years’ worth of homes against a statutory target of five years. As a result, developers are increasingly looking to the borough’s Green Belt for opportunity.
Stockport Council is one of three North West local authorities placed on notice for its sluggish housing delivery.
Asteer Planning is advising Richborough on planning matters. Marrons, Focus, and Tyler Grange are also advising. To learn more, search for reference number DC/099650 on Stockport Council’s planning portal.
So many of us are horrified at the proposed loss of our precious fields for housing .Some of these areas are privately owned which begs the question owners are happy to sell this land for money .
By Anonymous
Yes, anonymous – that’s exactly how it works. Elsewhere on PNW you will have people complaining about communism because mayors will have the power to overrule this sort of thing if it gets refused. What they in fact want, whether they know it or not, is for the power to make a profit from land removed from those who own it. Which seems sort of communist-like to me. Whether people agree with the right to sell the land for private gain, it exists and forms the basis of the system we have. It’s no good supporting that approach generally (which most people do) but complaining when it has an impact. ‘Landowner/developer only wants to this to make a profit’ is exactly the point, but it’s not a valid objection to development – this is exactly how it’s designed to work. If you don’t like it, I suggest campaigning to fundamentally change the system. No doubt people in the area voted for a party that has no intention of changing the system.
By Adam Smith
Over 4,000 ‘homes’ proposed and coming in around Woodford.A few years ago only 500 or so houses existing, even with Woodford garden Village, there are 1500, so the imbalance with new development is immense. Any character to the area will be totally lost.
By Roy Chadwick