These are all the significant developments tabled acros Greater Manchester recently
Woodhead Pass (A628) – overtaken by heavy traffic(Image: Michael Ely)
A new version of the long-touted plan for a massive underground tunnel could house a dual carriageway between Manchester and Sheffield.
The vision has been put forward by a group of experts in the field. It would see traffic between the two cities moved underground.
The latest version of the tunnel plan would see commute times cut by 30 minutes and restoration of the Woodhead railway line.
Original plans were shelved a few years back as the estimated cost – £10bn – was deemed to be too high. Now Future Works, a group of infrastructure experts, believe it can be done for just under £2bn.
Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter
No official plans have been lodged to authorities, but the MP for Stalybridge and Hyde is hopeful this could end the traffic congestion that has plagued the area for decades.
Here is a breakdown of each borough’s recently submitted public notices…
Bolton
Plans for five and six-bed luxury homes on green belt site close to country park
A developer intends to build luxury homes on the site of a green belt site close to Bolton’s Jumbles country park.
A planning application submitted this month in the name of Power Plant Ltd seeks to demolish buildings at the former Fitzpatricks Conveyor Belt Ltd, Moss Hill Farm on Bradshaw Road.
Nine large family homes are proposed for the site. Last year permission in principle for the construction for the homes was granted and now a full planning application has come forward with some changes to the site area and overall scheme.
The site is in the green belt and comprises previously developed land covering 0.49 hectares.
Manchester
Fears of major pressure on Manchester’s roads over plan for 61,000 new homes
There are fears Manchester’s roads could come under major pressure when plans to build 61,000 new homes in the city move ahead.
Manchester council’s draft local plan aims to massively boost house building in future years up to 2039, as well as creating new office space for businesses. But concerns were raised by councillors during a meeting on July 21 about whether this could cause problems with the city’s roads and public services.
The council’s draft local plan says that a ‘modal shift’ in transport is needed from car to public transport and active travel, such as walking or cycling.
Tameside
14-mile underground dual carriageway between Manchester and Sheffield tipped to end traffic congestion
The idea to build a 14-mile tunnel beneath the Peak District mountains could end the ‘frustration of traffic congestion’ plaguing one corner of Greater Manchester.
The Norway-inspired dual carriageway would see the snakes of traffic commuting between Manchester and Sheffield removed from the national park, and sent underground instead. The scheme, named ‘Trans-Pennine Connect’, could cut travel times between the two cities by 30 minutes and restore the Woodhead railway line alongside it.
The fast line between the two major northern cities closed to the public in the 1970s and then entirely in 1981.
This tunnel plan, if it ever gets the go ahead, would connect to the link road scheme that is due to be completed around 2030.
Salford
The ‘controversial’ housing development on Salford border where ‘traffic is a struggle’
A huge development proposed on greenbelt land in Warrington could have an impact on residents of Salford as locals complain of ‘back up traffic’.
Peel Land has submitted the third part of a 460-home scheme, which proposes 200 new homes on a plot of greenbelt land off Manchester Road in Hollins Green. The developers claim the land next to Holly Bank Caravan Park and the Manchester Ship Canal qualifies as ‘grey belt’ – low-quality greenbelt suitable for housebuilding.
The plans include 90 affordable homes, open spaces, and new road infrastructure.
Trafford
There are huge plans for Old Trafford and Manchester United’s home – now council wants your views
Ambitious plans have been set out for the regeneration of a ‘forgotten’ part of Trafford. Now, residents’ views are being sought.
Trafford council unveiled this month its plans for the Wharfside area. Bosses want to see ‘thriving’ new communities built there, with 15,000 new homes planned to be built over the coming decades. Some 48,000 new jobs could be created through the plans, with commercial space, eateries, hotels and offices also lined up.
At the heart of the development – and the catalyst for it – is the proposed new stadium for Manchester United football club. With 100,000 seats, the new home ground is expected to be the largest in the UK.
Wigan
Developer scales back 550-home and industrial park plans set to ‘shape the future of Atherton for generations to come’
A developer has launched a second consultation on the Gibfield Park masterplan which would build over a huge swathe of green land between Atherton and Westhoughton.
From July 21, Peel Land is launching a six-week consultation, inviting the Atherton community to have their say on the future vision of the 173-acre Gibfield Park. It said it had revised its masterplan for the area following feedback from an initial consultation earlier this year.
The changes include a reduction in space designated for warehouses, removing development from an area close to existing housing and introducing more green spaces. Having originally planned to deliver around 490,000 sq ft of employment space, Peel has cut the overall amount to 375,000 sq ft.
