Council approves revised plans for Godley Green Garden Village

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has today (March 18) resolved to grant planning consent for revised proposals for Godley Green Garden Village, paving the way for up to 2,150 new homes.

The decision follows the announcement of £17.4 million in funding towards upfront enabling works and supporting infrastructure from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority through the latest round of the Good Growth programme.

Plans for the development include a new primary school, sports pitches, two local centres offering retail, leisure, healthcare and community facilities, as well as allotments, play areas, parks, formal gardens and natural green spaces. In total, the scheme is expected to deliver around 7,000 square metres of employment and associated community space, supporting the creation of approximately 600 jobs.

In summer 2024, the authority - in its role as applicant - entered into an agreement with MADE Partnership to progress delivery arrangements. The joint venture will oversee and manage the development over an estimated 15-year period, taking responsibility for the overall vision and coordinating the wide range of stakeholders involved.

Councillor Eleanor Wills, Leader of Tameside Council, said the resolution to grant consent was the result of forming a strategic partnership with MADE to ensure the opportunity could be addressed in the best possible way. She added that she looked forward to seeing the scheme progress.

“The development has been thought through very carefully indeed and will be a welcome addition to Tameside whilst helping us fulfil our obligations to central government to provide more high-quality homes as our population grows,” she said.

MADE partnership will fund and install primary and community infrastructure, create serviced land parcels for house-builders to deliver both private and affordable homes, implement an ambitious social value strategy and ensure long-term stewardship arrangements are put in place.

Stephen Kinsella, managing director of MADE Partnership, described the council’s resolution as a major step forward following extensive engagement with partners and stakeholders.

He said the ambition is to create a high-quality development where green space and community facilities are central to the design, adding that Godley Green Garden Village would be a place where residents would be proud to live, work and relax.

Criticism of the decision has continued from opposition councillors, including Hyde Werneth Conservative councillor Phil Chadwick, who highlighted that the proposals had previously faced strong cross-party objections and concern from local residents.

In a post on Facebook Cllr Chadwick pointed to the planning panel’s seven-to-two vote as evidence of a divisive outcome and questioned whether all potential conflicts of interest had been handled appropriately during the meeting.

Cllr Chadwick also noted that some councillors from outside the Conservative group had expressed reservations about the scheme and suggested alternative locations for development. He argued that, given the scale of the project and its long-term impact on communities, residents should be confident that the process has been transparent and that decisions are being made fairly.

Longdendale Reform UK councillor Allan Hopwood  addressed the planning panel ahead of the decision, delivering a strongly worded speech in which he warned that the Godley Green scheme would mean the permanent loss of countryside, telling members: “This was, and is, still farmland - and once it is gone, it is gone forever.” He argued the planning process appeared “predetermined outside the democratic process” and highlighted the scale of public opposition, noting that “8,690 residents” had objected to the proposals.

Hopwood criticised the outline plans for including what he described as a “shockingly low” level of affordable housing and questioned whether more homes at lower cost could be delivered given the scale of financial contributions linked to the development. He also raised concerns about the potential strain on roads, schools and health services, as well as the impact on wildlife habitats and farming communities, urging councillors to “stop this madness before it is too late.” 

In a statement issued to the Tameside Reporter after the planning was approved, he said: “Today’s debacle is a damning indictment of Tameside Council, and clear evidence that they are prepared to bully their way in or out of anything, moving the goalposts and greasing the wheels to get what they want, against the wishes of the Tameside community.

“They have clearly taken leave of their senses and are not understanding the wishes and needs of the very people they are supposed to serve.

“The clock is ticking on this administration, Godley Green has been a curse for every leadership that has presided over it and this one will be no exception. As they will realise in May.”

Further planning applications are expected in the coming months, with a reserved matters submission for infrastructure in the East Village anticipated in the spring, followed by an initial housebuilding application.