Green-belt Destruction in Salford

SAVE OUR SALFORD GREEN BELT!!!

STOP SALFORD CITY COUNCIL DEVELOPMENTS ON SALFORD GREEN BELT  

Salford City Council as part of its draft Core Strategy proposes that 40 hectares (98 acres) of green belt land (including Grade 1 agricultural land and an 18 hole golf course) at Barton should be used for new industry/warehousing.  Residents want Salford City Council and the Government to protect our green belt and to ensure that this proposal is rescinded. This is in addition to the building of the Salford City Reds Stadium opposite along with the Port Salford development.  The Port Salford container park will include a 7 track train line that will hold the Uk's largest ever trains at 775 metres long.

The Port and train track will be built next to residential areas and will be in operation 24 hours a day.   The pollution, traffic congestion and loss of quality of live for the residents will be overwhelming.  The Council indicate that is it vital to build the warehousing on the green belt as it is the "only" employment land available in Salford.  It is transparent that the only reason to build the warehousing site at Barton Moss is that it is directly opposite Peel Holding's Port Salford container port that it will support.      There is also within the Core Strategy reference to the Salford Forest Park Development in Worsley where the proposed new racecourse will be built where over 1,700 acres of greenbelt land including peatbog and Grade 1 agricultural land is proposed to be turning into a Peel Holding development.

We wish to link in with other similar protests such as the Little Hulton and Walkden protest against the Cutacre developments, the Worsley protest against the Salford Forest Park racecourse and the Winton Incinerator.  Salford Council must follow Manchester Council's lead and revise its Core Strategy to have a greener and truly more sustainable focus including creating "green" jobs from retrofitting social housing and finding alternative green energy rather than creating more industrial waste sites.

Residents are having a Public Meeting at 7 pm on Wednesday 6 January 2010, at Higher Irlam Social Club, Cutnook Lane, Irlam.  The meeting is being held to discuss the proposals and progress of the petition.   The petition needs to be signed and submitted to Salford City Council by 15 January 2010.  So far over a 1000 signatures have been recorded.   There has been a tremendous show of supporters from local councillors and the Worsley South MP, Barbara Keeley as well as Friends of the Earth, the Wildlife Trust and the local Bird Protector, Judith Smith.   Articles have appeared this week in the Manchester Evening News and the Salford Advertiser with previous reports by BBC Radio Manchester and Salford Online as well Salford Star.

The protest committee has a Facebook group and would ask that people join the group and take part in online discussions.    Salford City Council has an online facility where you can login and express your opinions (http://www.salford.gov.uk/core-strategy).   If you would like to join the protest committee and attend the meeting or help with the petition, please contact us on savebartonmoss@yahoo.co.uk).   The petition will be presented to Salford City Council by the protest committee and its supporters prior to 15 January.   We hope that the press will be available to support us.  We will be holding a public protest at Parkfield Cottage on Liverpool Road, Irlam, on Saturday 23 January 2010. 

Contact email: savebartonmoss@yahoo.co.uk