A PRESSURE group calling for Trafford to abandon plans to build houses on green belt land in Flixton claim brownfield sites, which could accommodate thousands of homes, are being ignored by the council.

The Save Flixton Green Belt group, which has close to 5,000 members, said they don’t believe Trafford Council is living up the “brownfield first” approach it promised in relation to the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework plans.

In Trafford, the plan is intended to deliver 23,000 new homes by 2035 but 4,000-plus of the new builds would be on green belt land.

Around a fifth of the current green belt land in the borough would lose its protected status under the proposed re-drawing of the boundaries.

This has sparked outrage amongst the public, with Save the Green Belt groups popping up across Greater Manchester.

And now Save Flixton Green Belt has taken the council to task over its assertion that development of brownfield sites will take priority over the green belt.

Campaigners claim there is sufficient land for the proposed 750 homes, without the need to build on the Flixton site, which includes the station and the recently closed William Wroe Golf Course.

According to Trafford Council’s own brownfield register, there are 78 sites, spanning an area of 651 hectares, which campaigners say could be used for erecting up to 3,435 houses.

This would go a long way to negating the need to earmark any green belt land for development.

A spokesperson for Save Flixton Green Belt said: “We feel that the search for brownfield sites within the borough of Trafford has not been exhaustively explored.

“Can it be explained why, if there is a local and regional policy for a 'brownfield first approach', were these sites not even considered, before the proposals for the development of 750 houses and encroachment into the community green space, in the heart of the village of Flixton?”

A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “The brownfield register is data that Greater Manchester, with the districts, published as part of a pilot programme with the Cabinet Office.

“It was published as part of our approach to brownfield first and to encourage developers to consider brownfield sites. The sites on the spreadsheet have all been taken into account in preparing in the GMSF and the assessment of land available for development.”

Save Flixton Green Belt is holding a “William Wroe Roam” on the William Wroe Golf Course on Saturday April 8, from 1 to 4pm.

The family fun day will include Birdie Bingo, Hole in One, Easter Egg Hunt, face painting, Beat The Golfer, Girl Guide craft stall, bouncy castle, and there will be an ice cream van and burger van.

Key note speakers include Kate Green, MP for Urmston and Stretford, and Andy Western Leader of Trafford Labour Party.

A fundraising single by Manchester band The Pilchard Heads, “Don’t Wanna Live In A Concrete Jungle” will be available from the Save Flixton Green Belt’s Facebook page from Saturday.

Money raised will be used to help with the campaign. Visitors to Saturday’s event are asked to enter the grounds on Pennybridge Lane, next to the Bird I’th Hand Pub.