Plans to build new homes on Stockport's green belt have been given the thumbs up.

The council's planning committee approved a scheme by WTGB Ltd to build 76 new homes to the east of Wilmslow Road in Heald Green at its meeting on February 13. Beforehand, town hall planning officers had recommended the plans be approved – despite admitting the proposal is an 'inappropriate development' and would 'cause some harm' to the green belt.

But they also emphasised the need to balance those concerns against the 'significant' demand for new housing in the borough. Councillors voted to approve the plans with nine votes in favour and three against.

Concerns were raised by Cllr Anna Charles-Jones, leader of the Heald Green Independent Ratepayers, who said the car park "has been a troublesome site for many years," but warned that the development could have a major impact on existing residents.

The scheme is designed to fit around an existing residential development at Outwood House, with the loss of part of a landscaped bund.

Cllr Charles-Jones said: "My reluctance on this application is the impact on the existing residents and particularly the amount of the bund that is being removed."

Cllr Wendy Meikle said: "The whole development closes in the apartments that are already there."

Stockport town hall (Image - Nub News)

With approval, it will create 44 houses and 32 apartments, with 66 designated for 'affordable' housing priced below market rates.

A four-acre site has been earmarked for the development east of Griffin Farm Drive, which includes new access, parking, and landscape improvements. Part of the land is currently used for car parking, while the rest is mostly vacant and overgrown.

Heald Green and Handforth train stations are about 25 minutes away, offering links to Manchester city centre, and Manchester airport is also around 2 miles away.

Access to the site is off Wilmslow Road via Griffin Farm Drive, which will be extended as part of the proposal. Building on green belt land is hugely controversial in Stockport.

Stockport council has a brownfield-first policy for housing, but is facing major problems with a lack of available homes across the borough.

It is also in the process of creating its local plan for housing, and recently asked residents and businesses to suggest land which could be protected or included in future development schemes.

Due to the growing housing problems in Stockport, the government has imposed higher housebuilding targets on the town hall, which means it has to build around 2,000 new homes a year – double the previous goal.

There are 8,000 households on Stockport's social housing register, which has up to a 12-year wait.

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