PLANNING experts have slammed controversial plans for a large housing development on green belt land in Flixton.

Town hall chiefs want to build 750 houses on half of the former William Wroe golf course (WG4).

This proposal is part of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) - a massive housebuilding scheme for the region over the next two decades.

But campaigners who have been fighting the plans have raised £5,000 to employ their own town planners to assess the proposals - and they have given a damning verdict on the scheme.

The planning company, Urban Imprint, criticised the process used to identify the site for development, and claimed the scheme earmarked for the site was not a sustainable development.

It identified alternative sites which it said were more suitable for such a development.

It also questioned whether a 750-home development was in fact needed to meet Trafford's housing targets.

Bob Phillips, a director of Urban Imprint, said in a letter summarising the findings: "Our research has led to one fundamental conclusion, that the allocation of the WG4 is not 'sound' in planning terms."

He continued that their work demonstrated that "the allocation is not required to meet the overall housing targets; the allocation itself and the numbers it proposes are flawed; and if required there are far better alternative strategies or sites that could deliver this number."

The findings were presented by the campaigners - the Flixton, Urmston and Davyhulme Future Planning on-line group - to a public meeting at the John Alker Club, Flixton.

Urban Imprint calculated that the green belt sites earmarked for development under the GMSF - the William Wroe site, plots in Carrington and the Timperley Wedge - would provide 11,550 new homes, which it said was 1500 more than was needed.

It was scathing about what it claimed was the lack of infrastructure to support the proposed Flixton development: "There is no clear plan or strategy for how to accommodate the additional 1800 residents in the area and provide for their education and healthcare needs."

It added: "This site relies on the surrounding schools, doctors and other facilities."

It said no evidence had been provided in the GMSF proposals as to whether this capacity exists.

Urban Imprint pinpointed two other sites that it said were more suitable. They are a site adjacent to the Timperley Wedge, and an extension of the Carrington plots already identified in the GMSF.

Mr Phillips said: "The 750 homes could easily be accommodated either through a redistribution of the number across the remaining allocated sites either within Trafford or the Western Gateway, or an alternative site could be chosen from two possible options."

The leader of Trafford Council, Cllr Sean Anstee has agreed to meet the group to discuss the report.

READ MORE: High rise flats 'could be built on William Wroe golf course in Flixton'

He has always insisted the council is acting to protect green spaces. He has said: "The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework is about controlling development in such a way that maximises protection of our green areas.

"If we did not put in place this plan then development decisions would be taken out of our hands with the potential for ensuing a development free for all."