Greater Manchester has ambitious plans to be one of the leading green city-regions in the UK and Europe, by going carbon-neutral by 2038, 12 years ahead of the Government’s own target. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham held the Green Summit on Monday (25 March) where the long-term vision was launched.

To do this, a Five Year Environment Plan has been created which sets out how to tackle the challenges Greater Manchester will face, and the urgent actions that are needed in the next five years to help achieve this.

A Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) which sets out plans for homes, jobs and the environment has been put together by Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Following recent revisions, the latest version of the GMSF has been consulted upon. Responses to the first phase of the consultation closed on 18th March 2019 and the Trust has responded.

Rachel Giles, Evidence and Planning Manager at Cheshire Wildlife Trust said:

“The Trust is astonished that seven criteria used to select allocation sites in the green belt failed to include any reference to environmental/ecological considerations.

This failure has resulted in major conflicts with the proposed GMSF policies and with national policies on sustainable development. We urge the council to rethink some of the allocations if they are serious in their aspirations to achieve a Greener and Greater Manchester.’’

More information on the GMSF can be found here:
www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/greater-manchester-spatial-framework