Green belt housing plan rejected

Plans to build up to nine houses on green belt land have been rejected by the council.

Permission had been sought to develop land off Winstanley Road, Billinge, into a new development near Winstanley College.

The proposals, which attracted opposition from several residents, were turned down by the town hall’s planning committee over concerns of “an urban sprawl” and harm to agriculture and history.

The council report said: “The development is located on an open section of agricultural land in the green belt.

“The development would result in the unacceptable loss of openness and lead to urban sprawl. The development therefore represents inappropriate development in the green belt and no very special circumstances exist which would clearly outweigh the identified harm to the green belt.”

It added: “The proposed scheme seeks to develop an existing piece of agricultural land, which contributes to the foreground of Winstanley Hall Park. The loss of the land to development would erode the open vista and add clutter to the setting of the historic Winstanley Park, which is formed by the attractive backdrop of Gorsey Hill wood and decorative lodges. Development on this outer boundary would harm the integrity and the visual significance of the park in this location.”

Many residents also registered objections on the council’s planning website, most of which also highlighted that the land was green belt, as well as the feared impact on local infrastructure.

“The impact on more housing will of course cause further problems with the already stretched schools, doctors and public amenities,” one resident wrote.

They added: “The village of Orrell has, like a number of areas, seen much development creating problems with road congestion causing air pollution and the road network was never built years ago to accommodate this amount of building, and it’s impossible for this to be changed due to the layout of the village.”

Another said: “There is no need to build on green belt when brown belt land is available. Also, the infrastructure in Orrell is creaking - narrow roads, no health facilities (despite tireless work on behalf of the community), full schools, poor train and bus schedules. Orrell has done its duty in accommodating an already over-build of new houses with no improvement to its facilities.”