The Trafford Council Scrutiny Committee met on 17 September 2025, to discuss road and pavement safety, the Community Estates Programme, and the Local Plan. Councillors reviewed statistics on road safety incidents, discussed the prioritisation of traffic schemes, and examined the condition of footways in the borough. They also received an update on the Community Estates Programme, which included the implementation of the Community Estates Policy, and discussed the progress of the Local Plan, including proposed land allocations and consultation opportunities.

Safety of Roads and Pavements in Trafford

The committee reviewed the safety of roads and pavements in Trafford, receiving a presentation on road safety statistics, walking and cycling schemes, traffic matrices, and footway conditions.

Key discussion points included:

• Road Safety Statistics: Councillors were informed about the Greater Manchester Combined Authority's Vision Zero Strategy, which aims to eliminate fatalities and life-changing injuries on roads by 2040. The One Trafford Partnership uses collision data and casualty statistics to analyse road safety. Between 2015 and 2024, 2,266 collisions were recorded in Trafford, with a downward trend from 2021-2024 compared to pre-pandemic levels. In 2022, road casualties in Greater Manchester cost almost £500 million.
• Walking and Cycling Schemes: The council has been working with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to deliver active travel improvement schemes, such as the A56 cycle segregation scheme and junction improvements at Barrington Road and Sinderland Road. These schemes aim to promote sustainable transport, enhance connectivity, and reduce traffic congestion and emissions.
• Traffic Matrices: The Traffic and Transportation team uses nine matrices to prioritise traffic management, traffic calming, road safety, and accessibility requests. These matrices allow for objective prioritisation using a technical scoring system. There are over 690 potential schemes across the matrices, but current funding only allows for about 5% to be completed each year.
• Footway Condition: The condition of footways is important for pedestrian safety and encouraging active travel. A large percentage (76.1%) of Trafford's footways require capital-funded remedial works, with an estimated maintenance backlog of £542 million. Factors contributing to this include aging assets, heavy loading from vehicles, and tree root growth.

The presentation also addressed questions raised at a previous meeting in March 2025, including a breakdown of serious incidents and areas not used for walking and cycling due to safety concerns. The council recognises that both actual and perceived safety concerns influence people's decisions to walk, wheel, and cycle.

The council uses data and community feedback to identify areas where improvements are needed. Examples of locations with safety concerns include busy multi-lane roads like the A56, residential streets with through-traffic, and underpasses with poor lighting.

The council plans to share a list of street names, intervention types, priority scores, and parameters used for each matrix, subject to agreement with the Executive Member for Highways, Environmental & Traded Services.

Community Estates Programme

The committee received an update on the Community Estates Programme, which was established following the adoption of the 10 Year Estates Strategy and Community Estates Policy in March 2023¹. The policy is underpinned by five core principles: addressing the climate crisis, partnership working, supporting communities, supporting regeneration, and releasing assets.

Key progress updates included:

• Out of 42 assets, 13 have formal arrangements in place, with the remainder still being negotiated.
• The implementation of formal arrangements has enabled the council to manage the estate more efficiently, support groups with future funding bids, and update its database of asset information.
• The council has gained a better understanding of energy use in the buildings, with sub-metering and energy management measures being implemented where appropriate.
• Through the implementation of formal arrangements, the council has achieved cashable savings of £86,235 and generated an income of £50,320. Additional savings of around £100,000 are anticipated through ongoing negotiations.

The programme is now moving to a business-as-usual phase, with a dedicated Estates Officer remaining in place as the primary contact for community groups.

The report highlighted the successful disposal of the Clarendon House library space, which will enable the delivery of over 70 new units as part of the wider conversion plans with Bruntwood². A case study of Altrincham Town Hall was presented, where a tenancy was granted to Oyez Arts³, generating significant savings for the council. Another case study focused on Stretford Cricket Club, where a stepped rent arrangement was agreed, committing the tenant to paying rent from 1 April 2025, and a new 35-year lease is being agreed to assist the club with its funding applications.

Challenges encountered during the programme included difficulty contacting organisations, the reintroduction of rent for groups with long-standing rent grant agreements, and multiple occupants at single sites.

Local Plan

The committee received a presentation on the Trafford Local Plan, which sets out the planning strategy for the borough. The plan is being prepared in the context of the Places for Everyone (PfE) Plan, a joint local plan prepared by Trafford Council and eight other Greater Manchester councils.

The Trafford Local Plan deals with strategic planning issues such as housing and employment numbers, the distribution of development, infrastructure provision, green belt, and major land allocations.

The timeline for the Local Plan includes:

• Public consultation on draft land allocations and designations (September - November 2025)
• Final public consultation (June - August 2026)
• Submission to the Secretary of State (December 2026)
• Public examination (Spring 2027)
• Adoption (2027/2028)

The plan proposes 80 sites for development, all within the urban area, with no green belt release. The broad locations for development include the A56 corridor, town centres (Altrincham, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston), and the Empress Regeneration Area.

The minimum housing requirement is 22,443 new homes. The proposed allocations include a buffer to allow for under-delivery and delays to sites.

The plan also includes proposed open space designations, with 488 sites (1,377 hectares) allocated for allotments, amenity greenspace, cemeteries, natural green space, parks, and recreation grounds.

A mandatory requirement to allocate a site for two permanent residential pitches for gypsies and travellers is proposed for land off Seamons Road, north of the Bridgewater Canal in Broadheath.

The plan also addresses carbon and energy, education, health and social care, green and blue infrastructure, and transport. Sustainability assessments, including an Integrated Assessment and a Habitat Regulations Assessment, have been conducted, with no significant issues identified to date.

Public consultation on the plan is scheduled for 22 September to 3 November, with online and in-person events planned.