Greater Manchester natural habitats to be afforded more protection
Holcroft Moss and the South Pennine Moors are to be safeguarded from the potentially damaging effects of development.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority has launched consultations on two documents aimed at informing developers of their duties when carrying out projects close to the two natural habitats.
The documents have been drafted to sit alongside Places for Everyone, the joint spatial plan for the development of housing and commercial space across the city region adopted by all of Greater Manchester’s local authorities except Stockport.
Have your say www.gmconsult.org
South Pennine Moors
The GMCA wants to ensure that new homes and businesses in Rochdale, Oldham, and Tameside close to the moorland habitat – which supports populations of birds including merlins, golden plovers, and short-eared owls – have the right safeguards in place to avoid damaging the habitats.
Holcroft Moss
Holcroft Moss in Warrington is designated as a European Special Area of Conservation and contains peat bogs, which are habitats for wildlife and store carbon.
Located next to the M62, it is feared that nitrogen emissions from vehicles could slow the restoration of the peat bog habitat.
The nine Places for Everyone local authorities, together with Warrington Borough Council, are proposing a package of restoration measures to improve the resilience of the peat habitat to air pollution, the GMCA said.
Paul Dennett, City Mayor of Salford and Greater Manchester lead for Places for Everyone, said: “Places for Everyone is our plan to improve employment opportunities for our communities, deliver the homes that Greater Manchester needs, revitalise our town centres, and rejuvenate our green spaces. It’s also our best defence against costly unplanned development.
“These documents will help us to ensure that, through Places for Everyone, the right safeguards are in place to protect our natural environment, including the most important habitats in and around the city region.”
