Hands around our lake, and hands off our greenbelt!

Date published: 11 March 2019

Not even bad weather could deter hundreds of campaigners from joining hands around Hollingworth Lake on Saturday (9 March), in protest of plans to build on the region’s greenbelt land.

Littleborough and Smithybridge Save the Greenbelt Group hope to have a lasting impression with their Hands Around the Lake event – a chain of people around Hollingworth Lake – before the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) consultation closes on 18 March.

Under the latest version of the region’s development blueprint, the net loss of local greenbelt in the proposals has reduced from 4.6% to 2.9%, with the Pennines region having the greatest concentration of proposed new green belt sites in Rochdale.

Land put forward locally includes Bamford and Norden, Castleton Sidings, Crimble Mill, land north of Smithy Bridge, Newhey Quarry, Roch Valley and Trows Farm.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/125461/guide-to-the-nine-new-green-belt-sites-included-in-revised-masterplan

Co-founder of Littleborough and Smithybridge Save the Greenbelt Group, Kate Clegg said: “It was incredible to see so many people so committed to preserving the areas green spaces and uniting together to fight for the right type of houses in the right places. It was a wonderful community feeling. The support of all those people that stood in the freezing wind, rain and hail was amazing.”

She continued: “We ended with the sun making an appearance and a rainbow. We were shocked that some people came along to the event and still hadn’t heard of the GMSF or the plans for the area. [We] Can’t wait to do it again when the sun is shining.”

The consultation for the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, currently in its second draft, will close on Monday 18 March 2019.

Have your say:

• www.gmconsult.org/communications-and-engagement-team/gmsf/