Find answers to frequently asked questions grouped together by theme.
General
- The process of preparing a joint development plan for Greater Manchester began in 2014 with the start of work on the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF).
- Nine GM districts decided to continue to produce a joint plan following the withdrawal of Stockport Council from the GMSF in December 2020 with the plan being renamed Places for Everyone (PfE).
- Following a two-year examination by three independent Planning Inspectors, PfE was found to be sound, subject to a series of modifications.
- The Plan was modified accordingly and formally adopted in March 2024.
- The three sites are allocated for housing in PfE.
If you objected or commented on any of the sites being allocated through Places for Everyone (PfE), these comments were taken on board during a two-year examination by three independent Planning Inspectors.
Following the examination, PfE was found to be sound, was formally adopted in March 2024 and the principle of residential development on the sites was established.
The main issue going forward is what the development of these sites will look like and to ensure that contain the right levels of infrastructure.
- Around 6,000 new homes;
- Three new roads;
- New Metrolink stop;
- New and improved public transport routes;
- New walking and cycling routes.
- 3 new primary schools;
- New health facilities;
- 5 new local centres;
- Sports pitches, parks and playgrounds.
- New green infrastructure including nature parks, heritage parks, improved green space, ecological mitigation and sustainable drainage.
No, they were removed from the Green Belt and allocated for housing in the Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan.
The allocation of the sites for housing effectively establishes the principle of residential development on the sites.
The purpose of a Development Framework is to effectively bridge the gap between the allocations and the subsequent detail of the development that will emerge through planning applications on the sites.
The Frameworks provide strategic guidance on how the strategic sites allocated in PfE should be developed. This includes principles relating to land use, connectivity, urban design, infrastructure, environmental quality, and placemaking.
They do not grant planning permission and do not remove the requirement for detailed scrutiny at later stages.
A development framework contains information on:
- The existing characteristics of the site;
- The future vision and opportunities for the site;
- A future masterplan for the site
- The development principles against which future planning applications will be assessed
- The essential physical, social and environmental infrastructure needed across the site; and
- A strategy to deliver the site.
The Development Frameworks have been prepared by the Council’s planning department in conjunction with the main site promoters. The evidence supporting the Development Frameworks draws on up-to-date evidence that is proportionate to this stage of the development process (i.e. bridging the gap between the allocations in PfE and planning applications).
Further, more detailed evidence will be submitted with all planning applications within the sites to ensure that the proposals reflect the latest position.
No, the sites have been allocated in PfE for residential development but this does not grant planning permission.
Formal planning applications must still be submitted and determined by Bury Council.
The Planning team will seek to ensure that planning applications will only be approved when they are in line with the Development Frameworks.
Any planning applications approved will have planning conditions attached and/or legal agreements to ensure successful delivery of infrastructure.
An Infrastructure Phasing and Delivery Strategy (IPDS) is a structured plan that explains:
- What infrastructure is needed to support a development;
- When it will be delivered (phasing);
- How it will be funded and constructed (delivery strategy);
It’s commonly used in large residential, mixed-use, commercial, or master-planned developments.
The IPDS will be a ‘live’ document that will be amended to respond to changing circumstances e.g. the availability of funding to support the delivery of infrastructure.
It effectively will be a live document of the development programme.
Trigger points are measurable milestones in the development that determine when the supporting strategic infrastructure must be delivered. They are normally tied to housing occupation levels or population growth, rather than arbitrary dates.
Triggers ensure that the infrastructure supporting the housing e.g. schools, is delivered when needed.
Trigger points will be determined at the application stage taking account of circumstances at that time.
Triggers will be identified at the planning application stage and will be included in planning conditions and/or legal agreements
If you want to stay informed about all aspects of the strategic sites development frameworks and other planning policy consultations you register your interest by emailing planning.policy@bury.gov.uk or calling 0161 253 7800. We’ll contact you at all key stages so you can always make your views known.
This information will be held securely and will be used in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation. Further details about how the Council process personal data can be found in our privacy notice at www.bury.gov.uk/privacy. Anyone signing up to have their details added should state that they consent to the Council capturing and storing their personal details for the purpose of keeping them informed about planning policy related matters.
The Development Frameworks are Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs), which operate at a strategic level. Their purpose is to provide an overarching vision, establish development principles, and guide future proposals, rather than define detailed engineering solutions.
Indicative plans and concepts are therefore necessary at this stage to provide direction while allowing flexibility for detailed design.
This reflects established planning process. Strategic plans and SPDs set policy direction, while detailed matters are assessed later when site-specific proposals are available.
This staged approach allows for proportionate assessment and ensures that decisions are informed by the most relevant and up-to-date technical information.
Strategic planning necessarily involves assumptions about future development. These assumptions are tested and refined as more information becomes available through detailed investigation, modelling, and design work.
Housing
The sites will provide for a range of house types, sizes and tenures.
The local authority will work with the developers to ensure that the types of housing reflects evidence of housing needs but they will include a range of family type accommodation (3 and 4 bedroom properties) and apartments (1 and 2 bedroom properties).
Everyone, there will be homes for families, first-time buyers and older people and those in need of supported accommodation.
Affordable housing is defined in the National Planning Policy Framework and includes:
- social rent:
- affordable rent
- shared ownership
- discounted market sale and
- rent to buy properties.
The exact tenure mix will be determined at the planning application stage. However, 60% of the affordable housing is expected to be social or affordable rented and 40% will be for affordable home ownership.
High, medium and low density housing describe how many dwellings are provided on a given area of land — in other words, how intensively land is used for housing.
It’s about concentration of homes on a given area of land and is usually expressed in terms of the number of dwellings per hectare.
High density housing will include a greater number of dwellings per hectare – likely to be primarily apartments - with low density having less dwellings per hectare – likely to be primarily detached or semi-detached houses.
The figure of 90 homes originates from the Council’s Five Year Housing Supply Statement (2025). It represents an indicative forecast of completions within a defined period based on available information at that time.
No. The figure is not a policy requirement or a fixed commitment. It is subject to change and does not form part of the Development Framework.
The Framework itself relates to the full allocation of approximately 1,550 homes.
Transport
Delivery of the new roads will be co-ordinated with delivery of new homes.
It may be that some of the roads secure some public sector forward funding, which could accelerate site delivery.
In the absence of this, roads will come forward depending on the needs of a particular quantum of development within the sites. This will be determined by up-to-date Transport Assessments and controlled through the planning application process.
The roads will all need to be operational before all the proposed homes are built.
Strategic highway modelling has indicated that the existing highway network can accommodate the level of traffic that is envisaged to come from the developments. This was tested at length during the PfE Examination.
There will be a need to make improvements to the existing highway and the Frameworks identify where these will be required to mitigate the impact of increased traffic. This mitigation will be implemented on an incremental basis as the development within the sites progress.
Public transport and active travel will also be provided as part of the development enabling alternative means of movement in and around the sites.
Elton and Walshaw is supported by the proposals set out in Bury West Transport Framework. For more information, view the pages:
Simister/Bowlee is suppported by the proposals set out in the Northern Gateway Transport Framework. For more information, view the page:
Developers will build the new roads unless external funding becomes available which could help to deliver the infrastructure at an earlier stage in the development.
A new Metrolink stop will be provided as part of the Elton Reservoir development at Warth.
New bus services will operate through all three sites connecting them to key centres, including Bury Town Centre and further afield.
This may include the frequency and routing of existing bus services.
The developments will be expected to contribute to the strategic public transport network and operations, working closely with Transport for Greater Manchester.
New walking and cycling routes will be provided within the sites and these will connect to the network of existing routes.
New cycle routes will be segregated from the highway to make them more attractive and safer to users.
Strategic transport modelling was undertaken as part of the Places for Everyone (PfE) plan. This work assessed the cumulative impact of development across Greater Manchester.
This modelling formed part of the evidence base examined by independent Planning Inspectors prior to the adoption of the PfE plan in March 2024.
At the plan-making stage, modelling is undertaken at a broader level to assess overall network performance and identify whether development can be accommodated in principle. This is considered proportionate to the level of detail required at that stage of the planning process.
This does not negate the need the more detailed, site-specific assessments that will be required at the planning application stage.
Yes. As development proposals come forward, developers will be required to submit Transport Assessments which include detailed modelling of traffic flows, junction capacity, and wider network impacts.
These assessments must consider cumulative effects, including interactions between different sites, and will be subject to independent scrutiny by the Council and Transport for Greater Manchester.
The findings of detailed modelling will inform the identification of mitigation measures, which may include highway improvements, junction upgrades, sustainable travel measures, or public transport enhancements. These measures will be secured through planning conditions and/or legal agreements where necessary.
Schools
Delivery of the schools will be coordinated with the delivery of new homes to ensure that they are delivered at the point where they are needed.
This will be based on up-to-date evidence regarding pupil yields and capacity within surrounding schools, provided through the Education Needs and Demand Assessment.
Land within the sites will be safeguarded for the primary schools.
There are different approaches that can be used to deliver new primary schools and the best approach for each site will be informed by an Education Needs and Demand Assessment.
The designs and layout of schools will need to conform with DFE standards.
In line with the respective PfE policies for each of the sites, development will need to make financial contributions for off-site additional secondary school provision to meet needs generated by the development.
Local centres
Land within the sites will be safeguarded for local centres and the developer(s) will be required to deliver the centre at an appropriate stage in the wider development.
A range of facilities including retail, health and community facilities.
The retail offer would be of a scale and nature to provide for local needs, rather than large retail units catering for a wider catchment area.
Health facilities would comprise a primary care on-site building within the Elton and Simister Bowlee sites.
As the existing primary care estate is well-located in relation to the Walshaw site, it anticipated that the level of housing growth planned at Walshaw will require the improvement of off-site primary care facilities to cope with the needs generated by the development site.
Community facilities could comprise cafes, coffee shop and community event spaces.
Green spaces
A range of formal and informal open space including parks, play areas, sports pitches, green corridors and nature parks
Where possible, key ecological habitats will be retained and enhanced.
Where this is not possible, developers will be required to mitigate and/or compensate for any adverse impacts. Generally, development will be directed towards areas of lower ecological value.
Biodiversity net gain is an approach to creating and improving natural habitats introduced by Government in 2024. It means that development is required by law to have a measurably positive impact for biodiversity by:
- replacing and mitigating for any loss
- providing an increase in biodiversity (known as a net gain) of at least 10%
Biodiversity net gains (BNG) can be delivered either fully or in part through on-site habitat, off-site habitat, or as a last resort, the purchase of statutory biodiversity credits.
For more information, view our Biodiversity Net Gain webpage.
On-site BNG will be prioritised but it is likely that off-site mitigation will also be required.
The Council is in the process of bringing forward a number of receptor sites within the Borough and there will be an opportunity for off-site BNG to be accommodated on these sites.
Flood risk
No, national policies are in place to ensure that new developments do not increase flood risk to the sites or the surrounding areas.
The Council and the site promotors will continue to work with the Environment Agency and United Utilities to ensure that sufficient flood risk measures are in place as part of the development.
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) manage surface water and mimic nature by managing rainwater close to where it falls. They slow down water before it enters streams, rivers and other watercourses. Examples include green roofs, permeable paving and attenuation ponds.
All of the sites will incorporate SuDS as part of the development.
Infrastructure
Detailed infrastructure requirements - including drainage strategies, utilities provision, ground conditions, and construction methods - will be addressed at the planning application stage.
At that point, developers must provide robust technical evidence demonstrating that development can be delivered safely, sustainably, and in accordance with policy requirements.
Construction
Construction will not start until after full planning permission is granted and development will be phased over several years.
A Construction Management Plan will be put in place covering:
• Working hours
• Traffic routing for construction vehicles
• Noise and dust control
• Communication with local residents
No. Development will be phased, allowing:
• Infrastructure to come forward early and related to the pace of development / needs
• Homes and facilities to be delivered in stages
• Communities to grow gradually and sustainably
Yes. Developers and their contractors have legal responsibilities for the works they undertake. This includes liability for any damage caused to private property or infrastructure during construction.
Developers will be required to undertake site investigations and condition surveys where there is potential for impacts on existing infrastructure, such as private drainage systems.
These surveys establish baseline conditions and provide a clear mechanism for identifying and addressing any subsequent damage.
No. The Council does not assume financial liability for construction-related risks. Its role is to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place through planning conditions and regulatory frameworks.
Responsibility for design, construction, and associated risks rests with developers, contractors, and infrastructure providers.
Phasing will be determined through future planning applications and will respond to practical considerations such as infrastructure provision, site constraints, and market conditions.
This flexible approach ensures that development can be delivered efficiently and sustainably over time.
Next steps
All development proposals will require planning permission. Applications must be supported by detailed technical evidence and will be subject to consultation with statutory consultees and the public.
The Council will assess each application against the development plan and all material considerations before making a decision.
Future development proposals will be brought forward through planning applications. These will be subject to:
- Detailed technical assessment
- Consultation with statutory bodies
- Public consultation and engagement
- Formal determination by the Council
No development can proceed without planning permission and full consideration of all relevant impacts.