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.
- 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.
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
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.
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 {INSERT LINK)
Simister/Bowlee is suppported by the proposals set out in the Northern Gateway Transport Framework.
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.
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.
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
Consultation
The principle of residential development has been established on these sites.
The Council is now seeking views on the content of each of the Development Frameworks for the Simister Bowlee, Elton Reservoir and Walshaw sites.
The Council has worked with the site promotors to shape the Development Frameworks for the site.
We are particularly interested to hear your thoughts on:
- The vision for the sites
- The masterplan for the sites
- The strategy for delivery
The Council is not asking for comments on whether it is appropriate for the sites to be developed for housing.
The allocation of the three sites in the Places for Everyone Joint Plan effectively establishes the principle of residential development on the sites.
As such, whether it is appropriate to develop these sites for housing is no longer an issue for further debate.
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.
Consultation on the Development Frameworks for the Simister Bowlee, Elton Reservoir and Walshaw sites will take place over a six-week period commencing on 13 February and ending on 27 March 2026.
The Development Frameworks can be viewed on-line at www.bury.gov.uk/strategicsites
Copies of the Development Frameworks are available to view at the Council’s Libraries and Bury Town Hall.
Yes, the Council will be hosting a series of drop-in sessions where officers will be available to discuss the Development Frameworks and answer questions. These will take place between 16:00 and 20:00 at:
- Radcliffe Market on 24 February;
- Elton High School on 25 February; and
- Parrenthorn High School on 26 February.
There will also be a Simister Bowlee only drop-in session hosted by Rochdale Council at Edgar Wood Academy on 5 March.
You can submit your comments on the Development Frameworks by following details on the web pages for each of the Development Frameworks.
Alternatively, you can email your comments to strategicsites@bury.gov.uk.
You can also respond by post to:
Strategic Planning and Infrastructure
Place Department
3 Knowsley Place
Duke Street
Bury
BL9 0EJ
Following consultation, we will thoroughly consider all comments submitted.
If necessary, the Development Frameworks will be amended in response to comments.
The Frameworks will then go back to Cabinet to agree to their adoption as Supplementary Planning Documents.
The Frameworks can then be used to inform decision-making on any planning applications on the three sites.