A plan to build hundreds of new homes in a Salford neighbourhood could pile pressure on local services, a councillor has said. Peel Land has submitted an updated planning application to Salford council for 295 new homes on land east of Boothstown, off Leigh Road, next to RHS Bridgewater. It’s based on green belt land released under Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone scheme – a plan to build more homes around the region which has been adopted by all town halls apart from Stockport. Les Turner, a Conservative councillor in Salford’s Boothstown and Ellenbrook ward, said new housing in the area would strain local services which are already at “breaking point.” He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The problem with all these houses is we can’t build at that scale without the infrastructure to accommodate it. “It’s a problem all over the country. I don’t know the price of a house there, but I imagine it would be quite expensive. “We’re not doing a favour to the people with big mortgages who buy one if they can’t get their kids into schools or see a dentist or doctor. It seems pointless to me to do this when we’re already at breaking point. “We need more homes, but we need more doctors and dentists, and transport infrastructure. “Leigh Road is at saturation already. People complain about getting to work with the traffic. We’ll get five to six hundred vehicles coming in at different times. The Worsley roundabout is the busiest in Salford but they just pour more in.” If approved by the council, the new homes would offer residents new play parks and active travel routes, as well as improved connectivity to the RHS Garden Bridgewater and the Bridgewater Canal. Half of the proposed homes would be designated as ‘affordable’, and the plan includes on-site provision and off-site contributions towards affordable housing. A spokesperson for Peel Land said the company is aware of infrastructure concerns in the area and has taken this into account with its updated planning application. It withdrew a previous planning application for 350 homes in the area, after feedback from the community and council. The revised application has been planned with a ‘lower density design’ which would be ‘more reflective of local character.’ The Peel Land spokesperson said: “We fully recognise there are existing infrastructure concerns locally. We have taken the time and effort to amend and resubmit the proposal in response to issues raised. “The application documents include full updated assessments of all the infrastructure issues, including transport, education and health. The scheme will meet the City Council’s requirements for Section 106 contributions and a discussion is ongoing with the relevant authorities over transport mitigation and active travel. “The planning application and all supporting information will be subject to consultation with the local community and a wide range of bodies to fully consider all issues before the City Council makes a decision.” According to real estate firm Rightmove, properties in Boothstown sold at an average price of £314,456 over the last year – compared to £201,144 in the Langworthy area of Salford.
