Council pledge on greenfield sites

Reporter: Janice Barker
Date online: 29 January 2010

Plans to build on greenfield land will be resisted by Oldham Council.

Ninety per cent of new schemes completed in 2008-09 were on previously developed sites, a new report shows.

The council has to produce an annual monitoring report on new developments across the borough for the Government, but it is also open to the public.

It looks at what was built in the previous 12 months and also the supply of housing land.

The 2008-9 report shows that 503 new homes were built and 102 demolished, a net gain of 401. Of these, 109 were built in the Housing Market Renewal areas, where 72 homes were knocked down.

And 90.3 per cent new builds were completed on previously developed land and buildings, exceeding the national target of at least 80 per cent.

The proportion of flats built fell from over half in 2007/8 to 35 per cent last year.

Eight sites included affordable housing (126 properties).

The borough’s five-year housing land supply is enough for 3,212 homes, also in excess of Government targets.

Builders also completed almost 30,000 sq metres of industrial and commercial space on brownfield sites, and over 1,500 sq metres of retail space.

The report adds: “A restricted approach towards housing development on greenfield land should continue.

“There is sufficient land within the five year supply to meet the current housing requirement, with 97.5 per cent of the supply on brownfield sites.

“It is considered the release of greenfield land for development could prejudice these sites and harm the objectives for the Housing Market Renewal.”