Frequently
asked questions
We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of common questions and answers about the Godley Green development. This list will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis.
What is a Garden Village
A Garden Village is a derivation of Ebenezer Howard's century-old concept of a Garden
City (Letchworth Garden City, Welwyn Garden City, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Brentham), a standalone settlement that fuses the best of town and country to foster rounded, healthy lives for its residents. As a 21st century Garden Village, Godley Green will align lessons learnt from other schemes with contemporary values and its distinctive location and setting.
Although there is no set model for a garden village they should be designed based on the following criteria:
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Built to a high standard
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Attractive and well-designed
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Meet local housing needs in particular the needs of first-time buyers
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Developed as own separate space with community facilities
A Garden Village will do this by creating its own community infrastructure with good transport links, GPs and schools which in turn will help to create new jobs and boost the local economy.
Where is Godley Green?
Godley Green is located between Hyde to the west, the rail line and Hattersley to the east, Gee Cross to the South West and the A560 Stockport Road to the South.
Why has this location been chosen?
This site is identified by Tameside Council in the Places for Everyone framework (PFE) as a strategic location for housing. PFE is the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s plan for homes and jobs, to support sustainable and inclusive growth, across the whole of Greater Manchester.
The site’s location and its strong transport connections via rail and road make it a sustainable location to focus residential growth and inward investment. In addition the proposed new community site will be able to function because of its location in relation to the nearby larger settlements of Hyde and Hattersley which already has existing services and facilities.
The focus is on a development that evolves sensitively around the existing communities and landscape where people put down their roots for the long-term. There will be a variety of housing types and tenures to support this – beautifully and creatively designed, well-planned and built to last.
Why is the land South of Mottram Old Road included in the Planning Application?
The land to the east of Apple Street and to the South of Mottram Old road is to be included within the Godley Green application to provide bio-diversity improvements. There will be no residential development on this land which will remain in the greenbelt and continue to be used for grazing alongside other uses.
The Council is looking forward to mutually beneficial discussions with the Mottram show society to both improve the ground for the society’s objectives and unlock the wider benefits.
How many houses are you planning to build?
It is proposed that up to 2,150 new homes will be built at Godley Green alongside supporting facilities and services. It is anticipated that the new homes will be built out in phases over the plan period.
The long term vision for Godley Green is to become a long-term asset for the people of Tameside, a development driven by place-making as opposed to just housing numbers.
Why is this development being proposed on a greenfield site?
Tameside Council is promoting Godley Green Garden Village to meet the needs of its current and future community for homes, jobs, education, health and leisure.
All Councils in England are required to plan for their future social and economic needs.
All brownfield land suitable for residential development in Tameside has been identified.
As Tameside cannot meet all its requirement of its housing needs assessment on brownfield land, it is promoting Godley Green as a sustainable neighbourhood. If the site does not come forward for development, then the Council will be required to find alternative greenfield sites to meet its future housing needs.
The site is also identified in the Strategic Plan for Greater Manchester, which when adopted, will remove the site from the Greenbelt.
What is the housing requirement for the area?
The Council needs to deliver a minimum of 10,416 new homes over the next 16 years of the current development plan period. This is a figure set by Government that will allow the Council to meet existing and future housing needs across all types and tenures, from affordable to larger family homes, to new homes for first time buyers and homes for older people.
The Places For Everyone spatial strategy (Greater Manchester's Plan for Homes, Jobs and the Environment) seeks to ensure that local housing need will be met across Greater Manchester as a whole between 2021 and 2037.
For Tameside, the PFE sets a requirement to deliver 7,758 new homes over the plan period. This is evidently below the 10,416 homes set out above. The expectation is that the remaining housing required for Tameside (circa 2,600) will be balanced across the other 8 authorities within the PFE as higher levels of housing growth are to be focused in the central and northern districts of Greater Manchester.
As “Places for Everyone” is in the initial stages, Tameside must work towards the 10,416 homes.
The Council’s latest Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment, dated April 2020, confirms that there is currently a total supply of sites (including developable brownfield land and a windfall allowance for small sites) to deliver 6,642 homes over the same plan period. This shows a deficit of 3,774 homes, but with Godley Green this would be significantly reduced to 1,624.
Why have the Housing Need figures changed?
The figures have been amended due to a change in the length of the plan period.
The GMSF plan period covered 17-years from 2020 to 2037 whereas the PFE plan covers a shorter 16- year period, as a result the housing requirement is 651 lower.
To account for housing completions in 2020/21, a deduction has been made from the April 2020 land supply figures. Based on Tameside's target proposed for 2020/21 in the October 2020 Publication GMSF, the land supply is 281 lower.
Will it all be Executive Homes?
No, there will be a mix of house types and tenures to cater for all needs and aspirations. The aim is to develop a mixed, healthy and balanced community.
What types of houses will you build?
The type and design of homes will be determined by the design code which has been submitted with the planning application. All detailed submissions about house types and design will have to comply with the design code. The design code will require high quality design and materials and contains guidance about designs respecting local character as well as permitting a range of different house types. The new settlement will have a lot of variety.
The objective is to provide a mix of homes for people of all needs and aspirations. This includes apartments and small houses for first-time buyers, family homes and homes for people who are retired.
Will there be homes for single people and the elderly - not just care homes?
Yes, there will be homes for all ages and needs, for first-time buyers and downsizers. The aim is to create cohesive, mixed communities, that choose to live, bring up their families, work and retire in Godley Green.
Will the new homes be for rent or sale?
There will be a mix of tenures with housing for rent and sale.
Will the Council define the number of affordable houses or will that be up to the developer to decide?
The Council's current policy is for 15% of affordable homes across new development. This is captured in the planning application but with provision for a greater number of affordable units to be delivered if they can be financially supported by the scheme.
Will a lack of employment in the area mean everyone will have to commute out, making this a dormitory village?
The world of working is changing at a rapid rate. The Council understands that the City remains an economic driver for growth so having access to two train stations and excellent cycling and public transport will be critical to the sustainability of Godley Green.
While inevitably there will be some out-commuting, this should be balanced against the employment opportunities that will be provided locally, through new business development, people working from home and jobs created within the schools, health facilities and shops.
Covid 19 changed the way people worked with working from home playing a greater role than before. New homes proposed at Godley Green will need to reflect this reality to ensure they are equipped and flexible for a lifestyle that includes home working.
What sort of employment opportunities will there be in the Garden Village?
It is anticipated that the types of new jobs created will be in the following sectors:
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Retail,
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Administration and Management,
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Apprenticeships,
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Sport and Recreation,
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Care and Support,
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Education and early years,
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Higher education,
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Health,
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Construction,
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Maintenance and Stewardship,
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Hospitality,
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Live - Work,
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Creative industries and makers,
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Technology.
Are you going to make sure local people can access the jobs on the development and provide apprenticeships?
Yes – the link between potential investment in Godley Green to economic growth in Tameside is critically important. The Council will capture the social value that will be created as a result of the potential investment that would be attracted by a new settlement at Godley Green. It is anticipated that transformational change can be realised in both Hattersley and Hyde as a result of new jobs and apprentices created in construction and their associated supply chains.
The Council will work with local schools and colleges so that local young people have access to all of the employment opportunities anticipated at Godley Green.
The development will provide a range of over 8,000 jobs and apprenticeships during the construction period and over 300 jobs post completion in community services and the local centers.
Why can't brownfield sites be used, or the many vacant properties in other areas?
All brownfield sites suitable for residential development have been identified in the Councils latest Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment. There are relatively few opportunities to build at the scale that needs to be planned for on brownfield land.
When using brownfield land for development it often takes a piecemeal approach which doesn’t allow for co-ordinated delivery of the additional serviced required, such as health and education services, in suitable locations. If new developments do not provide these services in a thought out way then it places additional strain on what are often already stretched services.
The existing highway infrastructure will not be able to support any increase in traffic from the new development.
We have been working closely with Statutory Consultees such as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Highways England and other transport operators to create a cohesive plan for access and travel.
Where extensive traffic modelling has shown that traffic from Godley Green could have an impact on the network, a series of mitigation measures have been agreed with Consultees including Highways England and TFGM.
Subject to specific conditions being put in place, there are no objections from Statutory Consultees on highways matters.
What about increased traffic congestion as a result of the new development?
It is our objective to encourage people to use their private cars less. This will protect the environment and encourage people to be more active while also minimising air and noise pollution from traffic.
Will there be adequate on and off-street parking for these additional homes?
A variety of types of parking are being considered – we’re aware of the concerns people have regarding the potential number of cars there might be at Godley Green. Lower density homes and neighbourhoods may offer a more traditional driveway for multiple cars, while higher density areas of terrace houses could feature on-road parking. Undercroft parking is also an option for apartment buildings.
Will there be cycleways, walkways and bridleways included in the plans?
A network of new cycleways, walkways and bridleways will be created to allow easy and safe access around the site and provide connections to existing routes.
Will people actually use the cycleways and walkways?
Perhaps the best piece of evidence in the UK is a study of cycling uptake following construction of a cycleway as part of Cambridge's guided busway, which found that 85% of the increase in cycling was due to the new infrastructure, with the largest effect on physical activity being seen in the people who were least active before the busway opened.
There's similar evidence from a study that monitored cycling and walking uptake alongside Sustrans routes, showing that 'at 2-year follow-up residents living 1 kilometer from the new infrastructure reported a 45-minute increase in walking and cycling per week relative to those living 4 kilometers away'.
Will there be hi-speed broadband for the development?
High speed/ultrafast broadband will be built into the development from the outset and will provide wider benefits to existing residents and the adjoining villages.
What about trains, they are already full at rush hour?
An study has been completed by Network Rail on the Greater Manchester’s South East Rail Corridor. The report includes the following strategic interventions to meet the 2024 to 2033 forecast growth:
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Platform lengthening at Godley, Bredbury, New Mills Central and Rose Hill Marple to support train lengthening
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Increase in peak service frequency from 10 to 11 trains per hour (tph) based on the Network Rail System Operator growth scenario
They conclude that with 4-car services in operation and a slightly revised timetable, growth can be accommodated on the corridor until 2033. A further study is being undertaken to assess requirements up to 2043.
The full report can be found at: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Greater-Manchesters-South-East-Rail-Corridor-Study-2020.pdf
What about water supply? Is there capacity to provide for such a large development?
We have consulted with the utility supplier who has confirmed that there is capacity to supply the whole garden village.
We also plan to use water sensitive urban design. This will involve using designs that encourage rainwater harvesting, encourage treated waste-water recycling and allow surface water to be collected and managed within the site so that it can then be used in different ways.
How is the wildlife and ecology on the site being managed and protected?
The Council has been undertaking ecology surveys across the site since early 2018 in order to gain the fullest possible picture of the flora and fauna across the site. Through this work, we have been able to understand and identify areas of sensitivity that require protection, consider the impact of our initial masterplan layouts and plan areas of mitigation planting as well as explore opportunities to enhance wildlife and habitats.
The masterplan includes natural green space, inclusion of good sized gardens for most homes, extensive tree planting, allotments and playgrounds which will all create a significant range of new habitats over the existing open landscape. The site will deliver a 10% increase in bio-diversity while protecting Werneth Brook and Brookfold Wood.
What about flooding? The area is aready at risk of flooding and new development here poses a greater threat to lower lying areas such as Hyde.
We have consulted with utility providers and statutory bodies to develop a robust approach to managing the flood risk.
By incorporating Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) and water sensitive urban design into the masterplan, we are aiming to develop a futureproof and high quality strategy. This will involve using designs that encourage rainwater harvesting, encourage treated waste-water recycling and allow surface water to be collected and managed within the site so that it can then be used in different ways.
What does a planning application for a development like this contain/involve?
The planning application is for up to 2,150 homes. It sets out plans for how the first homes, supporting facilities and services will be built out in phases. Much of the detail will therefore come forward in subsequent phases with each phase requiring permission for the detail to be approved by the Council in consultation with stakeholders and the local community.
When will the planning application be determined?
The planning application for the Garden Village was submitted on the 30th September 2021. It was validated on the 30th November. Two Environmental Statement Addendums have been submitted in November 2022 and July 2023. All information is available to view online.
A committee date has been scheduled for the 1st November 2023.
How can I give my feedback, have my say and stay involved?
You can stay up to date by regular visits to the Godley Green Garden Village website at www.GodleyGreen.com.
Tameside council have held open community consultation events online. Copies of the presentations have been provided on the News and Updates page.
More detail can be found by looking at the planning application documents which have been published online. There is an option to provide feedback on the application itself through the planning portal.
