Stockport considers building 76 homes in Heald Green, potentially sacrificing green belt land. Council vote set for February 13.
Council officers call the plan ‘inappropriate.’ It harms the green belt, they noted. They said affordable housing needs balance this harm. They see a big need for cheaper homes.
If approved, 44 houses and 32 apartments get built. Sixty-six homes become ‘affordable’ housing. These homes cost less than market price.
The plan needs a four-acre site. It sits east of Griffin Farm Drive. Access, parking, and landscaping are included.
Some land is now overflow parking. The rest is empty and overgrown. Two train stations are nearby, a 25-minute walk. They link to Manchester and other places.
Manchester Airport sits only two miles away. Griffin Farm Drive leads to the new site. Developers will extend the road. Stockport residents often oppose building on green spaces.
Stockport wants to use brownfield sites first. A lack of homes presents a big challenge. The town needs more available housing.
Stockport creates a local housing plan. They asked people to suggest land. This land might be protected or developed later. The government wants more Stockport houses.
They set higher housebuilding targets. Stockport must build 2,000 homes yearly. This doubles their prior goal. Eight thousand families need social housing. Wait times can stretch to twelve years.