Content

Purpose of the Report:
The purpose of the report was
to seek approval of the draft Holcroft
Moss Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) (as
detailed at Appendix 1 of the report) and supporting documents (as
detailed at Appendices 2, 3 and 4 of the report) for a six-week
public consultation commencing not earlier than 1 November 2024.
This will enable stakeholders to have the opportunity to provide
comments on the Holcroft Moss Planning
Obligations SPD before it is formally adopted.
 
Reasons for the Recommendations:
The
Places for Everyone Plan (PfE Plan) was
a joint development plan document of nine Greater Manchester
authorities which was adopted on 21st March 2024. The PfE Plan sets out a clear spatial strategy for
delivering new homes and businesses along with infrastructure to
support development and to protect and enhance our towns,
cities and landscapes. It covers a
timeframe up to 2039.
 
PfE Policy
JP-C8 - Transport Requirements of New Development, seeks to ensure
new development does not have an adverse impact on the protected
habitats and species of Holcroft Moss,
which is within the Manchester Mosses Special Area of Conservation
(SAC). Where appropriate, housing and/or employment developments
make a financial contribution to the provision of
mitigation.
 
The
need for, and amount of financial contribution to be secured, will
be identified at the planning application stage. As set out in
Policy JP-C8 of the PfE Plan, where
planning applications are required to be accompanied by a Transport
Assessment, they will need to consider air quality impacts on
Holcroft Moss, within the Manchester
Mosses Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Any proposals that would
result in increased traffic flows on the M62 past Holcroft Moss of more than 100 vehicles per day or
20 Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) per day must devise a
scheme-specific range of measures to reduce reliance on cars,
reduce trip generation, promote ultra-low emission vehicles, and
provide a contribution towards restoration measures at Holcroft Moss.
 
Working with Natural England and Warrington Metropolitan Borough
Council (WMBC), the nine PfE
authorities have established the scope and estimated cost of the
mitigation works. The cost of the mitigation works - including
design and feasibility, land, capital costs, professional fees,
monitoring, contingency and ongoing maintenance – has been
estimated at approximately £880,000 (see statement of
estimated project costs and required contributions, which is
available alongside this SPD). Contributions will be sought on
commencement of development to ensure the mitigation measures can
be provided in a timely manner to offset the impacts. Individual
legal agreements will specify timeframes for financial
contribution(s) to be spent.
 
The
exact scale of contributions for an individual site will depend
upon the particular development
proposed, and its impact upon Holcroft
Moss, the proposed level of contributions is set out in the
statement of estimated project costs and required contributions,
which is available alongside the SPD. The nine PfE authorities and WMBC have agreed that the cost
of the mitigation works will be apportioned between the two plans.
The apportionment will be based on the potential impact on
Holcroft Moss identified in the
respective Plan’s HRA. On this basis the PfE authorities will be responsible for 53% of the
total costs and WMBC will be responsible for 47% of the total
costs.
 
Options/Alternatives Considered:
Option 1 – To: a). approve the draft Holcroft Moss Supplementary Planning Document
(SPD), and supporting documents, for a six-week public consultation
commencing no earlier than 1st November 2024; b). agree the
provision to WMBC (as the responsible authority for implementing a
mitigation strategy for Holcroft Moss)
as necessary and through an appropriate mechanism, with S106 funds
collected in accordance with the Holcroft Moss SPD; and c). delegate approval to the
Assistant Director Planning, Transport and Housing Delivery to make
minor, non-material modifications to the draft Holcroft Moss SPD, and supporting documents, before
consultation commences, subject to consultation and agreement with
the eight other Places for Everyone authorities. This will enable
stakeholders to have the opportunity to provide comments on the
draft Holcroft Moss SPD before it is
formally adopted. There were no foreseeable disadvantages to this
option.
 
Option 2 - To not approve the draft Holcroft Moss SPD for consultation. This would
prevent stakeholders commenting on the SPD. This would result in
future adoption of the document being contrary to planning
regulations and would significantly limit the ability of the
PfE authorities to collect S106 monies,
necessary to mitigate harm to Holcroft
Moss.

 
Option 1 was the preferred Option.
 
Decision:
Cabinet resolved:
 

1.   
To approve the
draft Holcroft
Moss
Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) (as
detailed at Appendix 1 of the report) and supporting documents (as
detailed at Appendices 2, 3 and 4 of the report), as the basis for
a six-week public consultation commencing no earlier than 1st
November 2024.

2.   
To agree the provision
to Warrington Metropolitan Borough Council (as the responsible
authority for implementing a mitigation strategy for Holcroft Moss) as necessary and through an
appropriate mechanism, with S106 funds collected in accordance with
the Holcroft Moss Planning Obligations
SPD.

3.   
To delegate approval
to the Assistant Director Planning, Transport and Housing Delivery
to make minor, non-material modifications to the draft Holcroft Moss Planning Obligations SPD and
supporting documents before consultation commences, subject to
consultation and agreement with the eight other Places for Everyone
authorities.