Fears have been raised WWII bombs could lie buried under Oldham amid plans to build on green belt land.
The concerns were raised at an Oldham council planning committee meeting on September 23 by Failsworth councillor Andrew Brooks over plans to build new homes off Failsworth Road. At the meeting, councillors decided to reject plans for the 68 new homes in Failsworth.
The site is entirely in the green belt. If it had been approved, the development would have taken place across the northern part of the site while the southern section would be preserved except for the removal of invasive species.
100% of the homes would be classed as affordable and two people supported the proposal by Redwaters Estates and Redwaters Fitfield. However there were 623 objections with many concerns raised.
Oldham council officers had recommended the application for refusal on the grounds it is ‘inappropriate development within the Green Belt’, adding: “The applicant has failed to demonstrate that adequate vehicular access to the development has been made and this will lead to the manoeuvring of vehicles, generated by the development, within the adjacent highways to the detriment of safety of pedestrians and other highway users.”
The plans faced opposition from local resident Steve Whitehead who said hundreds had rallied against the plan and accused the application of being speculative. Labour councillor Ken Rustidge criticised the plans and argued there was no urgent need to develop the site.
Reform councillor Andy Brooks said the plans would disturb wildlife such as deer, owls, and kestrels. However he said ‘the possibility of historic wartime ammunition’ beneath the land needed proper consideration.
He added: “We know that Greater Manchester contains land with a long industrial and wartime history. There is credible historical evidence that wartime activity took place in and around these locations.”
The councillor said the area had been ‘heavy targets for bombers’ and munitions were dumped over Failsworth, Daisy Nook, Woodhouses, Droylsden. He asked for it to be established exactly what was underneath the land.
Stephen Harris, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said the land was classified grey belt and questioned how much housing the council could provide in the long term.
Pointing to a past declaration by the local authority of a housing crisis in the borough, he said elected members cannot ‘think everything’s great [and] everyone’s provided with a home’.
He added: “If providing 68 family homes for people in affordable need in Oldham currently isn’t a very special circumstance, I don’t know what is.”
At the same meeting, councillors also decided to reject a HMO plan on Long Lane in Chadderton due to highway safety concerns. This was opposed by a nursery next door and Coun Graham Shuttleworth at the meeting.
At Southlink in Oldham town centre, Vistry Group were seeking permission from the local authority to move ahead to build 147 homes to the south of the A62 Oldham Way and Oldham Mumps Metrolink tram stop. The land is currently jointly owned by Oldham Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
All of the 147 homes will be classed as affordable provided in partnership with First Choice Homes Oldham with a mix of different tenures. This was approved as were plans for a new restaurant in Chadderton.
