Future Local Land Use

With the recent publication by Rochdale Council of a Draft Site Allocations Plan [Sept 2108], we can see the direct effect on our Neighbourhood Area.

In terms of our Neighbourhood Plan Area there are only three proposals which directly affect the local community:

  • AL/HOU/76 Land between the Norton Grange Hotel and Saxonholme Road
    Whilst 14 houses are proposed here, planning permission has not been granted. This piece of land is regarded by RBC as a ‘brownfield site’
  • AL/EMP/11  Stakehill Ind Estate – Finlan Road 
    This site within the Estate has always been a green space where wildlife is evident
  • AL/EMP/25 Stakehill Ind Estate – Touchet Hall Road
    Known as ‘Lowfields’, this is the former Sainsbury’s distribution depot. It has been vacant for over 10 years. A recent so-called ‘scoping’ application by Virador for use as a recycling plant was not pursued.

The Forum will be submitting comments on the sites listed above plus other proposals for Castleton & Middleton, and on the Draft Site Allocation Plan as a whole.

If you have any comments on the RBC Draft Site Allocation Plan and would like the Forum to include them in its submission, please email info@tsjnf.org

From small beginnings

27,000 people commented on the first draft of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework [GMSF].

Following this the local community came together to form SOS-Save Our Slattocks and joined other local residents from across Greater Manchester to rally at Manchester Town Hall.

 Since then we’ve looked at how best we can influence local planning and consequently formed the Thornham St John’s Neighbourhood Forum

Here’s a video reminder of our ‘roots’

Website To Watch – ‘Criticalplace.org.uk’

Whilst there are many good websites and articles out there, we’re particularly impressed with this one.

Its writer, Dr Quintin Bradley, is no stranger to the area having been one of the presenters who introduced us to neighbourhood planning at Smalley Hall  in November 2017.

Along with articles on neighbourhood planning, localism, community action,  inequality and urban social movements, he’s gone on to publish research into the Greater Manchester Greenbelt movement, including the thoughts of SOS-Save Our Slattocks members.

Take a look at Quintin’s website:  http://criticalplace.org.uk/

Why was the boundary chosen?

The initiating group of local residents and business owners met and discussed options for the area to be used as the Thornham St John’s Neighbourhood Plan Area.

It was suggested that it would be appropriate to base the Plan Area on the long established boundary of the Parish of Thornham with Gravel Hole (R18834) map.

After further discussions, it was decided that the Parish area would best be amended by making two small changes. These were:

  1. Using the M62 as the Northern boundary
  2. Including all the houses opposite Cardindal Langley school to the traffic lights at Stanycliffe Lane.

See:  Thornham St John’s Neighbourhood Plan Area map.