GMSF – Page 2 – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

27Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Why do we need GMSF? asks Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader

Borough news

Study finds more than 1.3m homes can be built on brownfield sites A recent study published by the countryside charity, the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) has found that the government’s target of 300,000 new homes could be built every year for the next four years, and then some, on brownfield sites, leaving the Green Belt untouched. Responding the findings, Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE posed the question: “Why then do we need the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework with the proposal by the Greater Manchester Mayor and his Labour colleagues to destroy vast swathes of our irreplaceable Green Belt with unnecessary housing?” The CPRE found that there are enough sites in England that have been previously developed, and that are available for housing, to…

15Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Hardly Magnificent – Stockport and Tameside spat delays Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) for seventh time

Borough news

Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillors were bemused to hear that Labour’s plans to build thousands of new homes on the Greater Manchester Green Belt have been delayed yet again for the seventh time; this time, because of a spat between two neighbouring Labour-run Councils, Stockport and Tameside, over redevelopment proposals for an industrial estate. The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) was developed by Greater Manchester’s Labour Mayor with the ten local authority leaders. The controversial plan, which is opposed by Liberal Democrat Councillors across Greater Manchester and many members of the public, has been rumbling on for years without resolution. Next month, Mayor Burnham was due to proceed with a final public consultation on the latest proposals. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, said: “These plans were meant…

06Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Shaw and Crompton short-changed for third time in Labour’s Green Belt homes plan

Borough news, Campaigns

Liberal Democrat Councillors on Oldham Council remain bitterly opposed to Labour’s latest version of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework which has just been unveiled and will go before a special Council meeting to be held on Wednesday 28 October, prior to being open to public consultation. In this third version of their plan to build new homes, which forms part of the wider Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF), Oldham Council’s Labour Administration has removed proposals to build on Green Belt sites in Royton North Ward, Failsworth East Ward and St James Ward, but have retained plans to build almost 1,000 new homes on Green Belt and green space sites in Cowlishaw and in the Beal Valley. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, who is the Leader of the Opposition and represents Shaw,…

03Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Greater Manchester Spatial Framework is the wrong plan, at the wrong time

Borough news

Liberal Democrats in Oldham and across Greater Manchester are calling for a halt to the Greater Manchester Strategic Framework, due to be published on 5 October 2020. In advance of the publication, Oldham Council has revealed their local proposals and there will be a full meeting of the Council to discuss these on Wednesday 28 October. Wrong plan Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillors recognise that we will need more homes in the Borough, and we want to build the high quality, affordable and energy efficient homes that people need, but not at the expense of losing our precious green spaces. During the Covid-19 pandemic, residents have been using our great outdoors for exercise and solace. This experience this year tells us, we need our open spaces more than ever. Our precious…

04Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Councillor fears new planning rules a concern for Saddleworth

Borough news, Campaigns, Parliamentary news

Saddleworth North Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness has expressed concerns about the likely negative impact of Boris Johnson’s new White Paper ‘Planning for the Future’, which the Conservatives claim will represent the most radical changes to our planning system since the Second World War. Councillor Harkness said: “We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, but this Conservative legislation will do nothing for our green and pleasant land.” Under the Conservative plan, central government will designate whole swathes of the country for ‘growth’, meaning that developers will have ‘planning permission in principle’. Conservative ministers claim it will eliminate ‘red tape’ but the Liberal Democrats fear that it abolish any meaningful involvement of local councils and residents in planning matters. Councillor Garth Harkness said “I already have a…

30Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

‘The times they are a changing’: Liberal Democrat Leader calls for halt to Labour’s Green Belt homes plan

Borough news, Parliamentary news

“New Conservative planning proposals will now make Labour’s old plans to build thousands of homes on Oldham’s Green Belt redundant”, says Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE. “It is time to stop and take stock.” Earlier this month, the Conservative Government published a consultation document on their proposals to bring in new legislation, called ‘Planning for the Future’, that will radically alter how new homes and businesses are developed in the future. Each local authority will be required to develop its own new Local Plan within thirty months of the legislation being passed, based on new ‘zones’. Councillor Sykes commented: “This legislation will ultimately be passed, and it will make Labour’s current plans redundant and unfit for purpose immediately they are adopted”. He has written to the Leader of the Council,…

14Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

£400 million Brownfield Fund ‘welcome but not enough’, says Liberal Democrat Leader

Borough news

“Welcome, but not enough” says the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, in response to the recent Government’s announcement that £400 million will be made available to Mayoral Combined Authority areas, such as Greater Manchester, through a new Brownfield Fund. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “As the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group adamantly favours building new homes on brownfield sites, and as we have previously called on this government to provide the cash to do this, it would be churlish of me not to welcome any announcement of government money to make this happen, but we have yet to see how much of this money comes to Oldham and in any case Oldham’s share will not be nearly enough.” Councillor…

13Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Promise of special council meeting on Labour’s green belt homes plan welcomed

Borough news, Campaigns

The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed confirmation from the Leader of Oldham Council that a special meeting of the full Council will be called with a one-item agenda to discuss Labour’s green belt homes plan, called the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, and its impact on the Oldham Borough. Responding to a letter sent from Councillor Sykes 22 July asking once more if such a meeting would be convened soon, and when, the Leader has replied in writing confirming that ‘an extraordinary meeting of the full council (will be held) with a single item agenda to discuss the plans, and that it will take place as an addition to this year’s council meeting cycle’. The Council…

27Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Third time lucky: Liberal Democrat Leader calls again for special Council meeting to discuss Labour’s green belt homes plan

Borough news

The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Leader of Oldham Council to ask once more for a special meeting of the full Council to be convened to consider a one-item agenda – the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework and its impact on the Oldham Borough. Councillor Sykes first asked the Leader for such a meeting in the Full Council meeting in September 2018, and again in December of that year. Council minutes have since recorded that the matter is ‘in progress’. After almost two years of waiting for a meeting, Councillor Sykes’ patience has worn thin and he is concerned that time for further meaningful debate on the issue is fast running out. Commenting Councillor…

23Mar 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Green Belt Land Grab ‘completely unacceptable’

Borough news, Campaigns

The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has submitted a strongly-worded letter of objection on behalf of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group outlining why the revised Greater Manchester Spatial Framework proposals still remain ‘a massive and inequitable land grab’ in Crompton, Shaw and Royton (deadline for submissions was the 18 March). These proposals will result in the devastation of local Green Belt and Other Protected Open Land Sites for housing development being ‘completely unacceptable’. Councillor Sykes said: “The Liberal Democrat position remains clear and unequivocal. We want to see all new housing developments built on brownfield sites or on existing sites with planning permission for housing, or through bringing existing empty homes back into use, or the conversion of empty mills, offices and…

Tag: GMSF