The Planning and Development Management Committee of Trafford Council is scheduled to convene on Thursday, 5 November 2026. The meeting's agenda includes the consideration of two significant planning applications: the construction of a new link road in Carrington and the conversion of an agricultural building into a dwelling in Hale.

Carrington Relief Road Proposal

A key item scheduled for discussion is the application for planning permission for the construction of the Carrington Relief Road (CRR)¹, a new link road with active travel measures connecting the A6144 Manchester Road in Carrington to the A6144 Carrington Lane/Carrington Spur in Sale. This project aims to improve transport infrastructure, reduce congestion on the A6144, and support the delivery of the New Carrington development allocation.

The report pack outlines that the CRR is considered fundamental to the New Carrington allocation, which is planned to deliver approximately 5,000 new homes and 350,000 sqm of employment floorspace. The proposal includes significant active travel provisions, such as segregated cycle tracks and footways, and aims to enhance public transport by freeing up capacity on existing routes.

However, the proposal has generated considerable public interest, with over 680 letters of objection received. Concerns raised include potential increases in traffic, harm to habitats and wildlife, noise and air quality impacts, increased flood risk, harm to the Green Belt, and the loss of agricultural land. The report pack notes that while the CRR is identified as necessary infrastructure within the Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan Document², its alignment passes through Green Belt land, raising concerns about the impact on its openness. The report details extensive mitigation measures proposed, including significant landscaping and biodiversity net gain strategies, and acknowledges potential short-term harm to biodiversity.

The report also addresses the principle of the development, noting that while the CRR is identified as necessary infrastructure, its construction through the Green Belt is considered inappropriate development unless very special circumstances are demonstrated. The report details the potential benefits of the CRR, including economic benefits, improved connectivity, and support for housing and employment growth, and outlines the identified adverse effects. The recommendation regarding planning permission is to be determined at the meeting.

Duncalf Farm Conversion Proposal

Another application scheduled for discussion concerns Duncalf Farm, Clay Lane, Hale, WA15 7TR. This application seeks planning permission for the change of use of an agricultural building to a single residential dwelling, including extensions and alterations, as detailed in the Agenda Item 6 - Applications for permission to develop etc. document.

The site is located within the Green Belt, an Area of Landscape Protection, and a Wildlife Corridor. The farmhouse and adjoining barn at Duncalf Farm are identified as a non-designated heritage asset. The report indicates that officers consider the proposed extensions and alterations would result in a disproportionate increase in the size of the original building, constituting inappropriate development within the Green Belt and causing harm to its openness. Concerns have also been raised regarding the design quality, its incongruity with the rural character of the site, and potential harm to the heritage asset. Furthermore, insufficient ecological information has been provided to fully assess the impact on bats, a protected species.

The report concludes that the benefits of reusing the building and providing a single dwelling are limited and do not outweigh the identified harms. The recommendation regarding this application is to be determined at the meeting.

The meeting agenda, found in the Agenda frontsheet, also lists standard agenda items such as noting attendances, declarations of interest, and the approval of minutes from previous meetings held on 8th and 15th October 2026^{3, 4}. There will also be an opportunity for questions from members of the public.

¹ Carrington Relief Road (CRR) ² Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan Document ³ Agenda Item 3 - Minutes 08.10.26.pdf ⁴ Agenda Item 3 - Minutes 15.10.26.pdf