Recreation
Adopted Unitary Development Plan
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Introduction (Part I)
10.1 Leisure, recreation and sporting facilities both improve the quality of life within a city and provide an important stimulus to urban regeneration by increasing the City's attractiveness to potential investors and inhabitants. In recent years recreation pursuits have assumed greater importance in daily life due in part to the increasing amount of spare time at people's disposal and to the increasing awareness of the links between exercise and health.
10.2 The City Council seeks to provide a broad range of leisure and recreation facilities at the local or neighbourhood level which are accessible to all. However, there remains some variation in the quantity and quality of local recreational land and facilities and there will continue to be a need for improvement and new provision throughout the plan period. The Inner City suffers from a general lack of open space due to its densely developed nature and to the limited potential to create new open areas. At the same time, however, many recreation facilities do not appear to be fully used. This may reflect a lack of awareness among local residents or the poor quality of some of the recreational facilities concerned, both of which the City Council is striving to improve. A recent survey of outdoor playing space, including sports facilities and children's play areas, indicated that Salford as a whole is under provided with these formal recreation facilities when compared with the National Playing Fields Association's Six Acre Standard.
10.3 The City Council has adopted a Countryside Recreation Strategy to guide informal recreation provision throughout the City and in particular to exploit the recreational potential of the urban fringe and countryside areas. The strategy proposes a system of linked open spaces and Strategic Recreation Routes based on the City's canals, rivers and disused railway lines, particularly those accessible to inner city residents.
10.4 The Croal Irwell Valley has been a focus for countryside recreation development in recent years. Formal joint working arrangements with the neighbouring local authorities of Bolton and Bury have proved their worth and the City Council remains committed to these arrangements and to the continued management of the valley as both a recreational and environmental resource (see policy EN17). The City Council is developing two country parks within the valley, one at Clifton and one at Slack Brook, Agecroft. A third country park is also proposed at Blackleach in Walkden.
10.5 Throughout the City there are numerous private sector sports clubs and commercial recreation concerns. These facilities, for the most part, complement those provided by the local authority.
Strategy (Part I)
10.6 The Plan's strategy for recreation provision is geared towards safeguarding and enhancing existing assets whilst seeking opportunities to develop new recreation facilities in appropriate locations. The Plan suggests more and better facilities within the urban area, and improved access to the outer areas where informal recreation opportunities exist or can be promoted and where several country parks are proposed.
Policies and proposals of this section are geared towards:
- protecting and improving existing recreation land and facilities
- identifying recreation development opportunities in relation to perceived needs
- promoting access to and use of Salford's urban fringe and countryside
- developing the recreation potential of the City's many water features and disused railway lines
- encouraging private recreation provision, where appropriate
10.7 This overall approach complements the City Council's adopted Countryside Recreation Strategy in seeking to improve the provision of recreation land and facilities. Within this context, priority will be given to:
- the Investment Priority Area
- other parts of the City which are most deficient in recreational provision
- schemes which improve access to recreation facilities for inner city residents and
- the Croal Irwell Valley and the urban fringe and rural parts of the City
10.8 This approach is in accordance with Strategic Planning Guidance in that it will help to promote urban regeneration, the continuing management of the Croal Irwell Valley and the provision of recreation opportunities.
Protection of Recreation Land and Facilities
Policy (Part I)
R1 - Development on existing formal or informal recreation land and facilities, or land allocated for any of these purposes in the UDP, will not normally be allowed unless:
- it is for formal or informal recreational or non-commercial purposes related to the recreational use of the land, or
- an equivalent replacement site is provided and laid out within the local area to the satisfaction of the City Council
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
The City Council recognises the importance of recreation provision as a means of maintaining and improving the quality of life within the City and assisting the process of urban regeneration. Recreation land such as parks, playing fields and areas of open space are also very significant components of the structure of the urban environment and the character of local areas. Normally formal recreation will be those activities on land for which space standards have been set in policy R2 - Provision of Formal Recreation Facilities, whilst informal recreation will include activities such as walking, cycling, horse-riding (where appropriate), nature study, fishing and other quiet countryside pursuits.
An Urban Open Space Strategy will be prepared which will provide an action programme for the City Council in achieving its desired provision of recreation land and facilities. The Strategy will form Supplementary Planning Guidance as defined in paragraph 1.5 of the Unitary Development Plan and will be subject to public consultation. It will identify areas which are deficient in recreational provision and establish priorities for the provision of recreation land and facilities.
The existing standard of provision is known to be below the standards set in policy R2. The City Council will therefore not normally permit development which would result in a net loss of recreation land and facilities.
Provision of Formal Recreation Facilities
Policy (Part I)
R2 - The City Council will endeavour to ensure that all areas of the City are adequately provided with formal recreation facilities such as sports pitches, bowling greens, swimming pools, sports halls and children's play areas, subject to the availability of adequate resources. Priority will be given to the provision of new facilities and the laying out of land for formal recreation use in the Investment Priority Area and those parts of the City which suffer from a relative shortage of such facilities and land. The City Council will seek to achieve an overall minimum standard for formal sports facilities and children's play provision of 2.43ha (6.0 acres) per 1,000 population, made up of the following components:
i. 1.2ha (3 acres) of playing pitches
ii. 0.4-0.6ha (1-1.5 acres) of other formal, recreation facilities including courts, greens, athletics tracks etc;
iii. 0.6-0.8ha (1.5-2 acres) children's play space comprising:
0.2-0.3ha (0.5-0.75 acres) of outdoor equipped playgrounds, and
0.4-0.5ha (1-1.25 acres) of casual or informal play space within housing areas
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
This policy seeks to ensure that all residents of Salford have access to a broad range of recreation facilities.
The standards defined within the policy are derived from the National Playing Fields Association's Six Acre Standard which will be adopted by the City Council as a minimum standard of provision to be worked towards. In preparing its Urban Open Space Strategy the City Council will give consideration to the need to refine these standards to meet local needs.
In accordance with the UDP's recreation strategy, priority will be given to the Investment Priority Area and to those parts of the City which are most deficient in recreational provision when compared with the standards set down in the policy.
Provision of Open Space
Policy (Part I)
R3 - The City Council will promote the provision of an integrated system of countryside recreation areas, urban parks and public open spaces. In particular the City Council will seek to improve the provision of informal recreation opportunities throughout the City.
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
The present distribution of public open space in some parts of the City is uneven relative to the needs and distribution of the City's population. The City Council will seek to rectify these deficiencies through the provision of new areas of public open space when and where opportunities arise. These areas may be used for either active or informal recreational purposes dependent on the needs of the population they serve. This work will be guided by the Urban Open Space Strategy.
Improvement of Recreation Land and Facilities
Policy (Part I)
R4 - The City Council will improve the appearance of, access to and use of its parks, play areas, recreation grounds, allotments and areas of public open space through improved maintenance and management.
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
This policy seeks to encourage greater public use of existing recreation facilities and to improve the image of the City. Improvement of recreational land and facilities will also have regard to policy EN5 which seeks to improve the environment for nature. In view of the limited resources likely to be available to the City Council for the foreseeable future, priority will be given initially to the major formal parks and to those smaller parks and play areas which meet particular local needs.
Country Parks
Policy (Part I)
R5 - The City Council will promote the development of Country Parks at key sites on the fringe of the urban area where they are accessible to the majority of the residents in Salford and do not conflict with other land uses.
Reasoned Justification (Part II) The City Council recognises that the provision of Country Parks at appropriate locations on the urban fringe can help to provide for the recreational needs and demands of Salford's population whilst at the same time relieving potential conflicts between recreation and other rural activities such as farming.
Three Country Parks are identified in Part II of the Plan and in each case a Management and Action Plan either has been, or will be, produced to guide recreational development and also to prevent conflict between competing recreational uses.
Water Features
Policy (Part I)
R6 - The City Council will promote the recreational use of the City's rivers, canals, lakes, reservoirs and other water bodies where the water quality permits and where such uses will not be detrimental to the ecological value of the area.
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
Water bodies are a major resource that could be better developed for public use and enjoyment. However, these can also be of considerable ecological value and there is a need to balance recreational and ecological needs.
Strategic Recreation Routes
Policy (Part I)
R7 - The City Council will maintain, improve or introduce the network of Strategic Recreation Routes shown in the Recreation Strategy diagram based on linear features such as canals, rivers and disused railway lines. Consideration will be given to the creation of a circular walk around the City using this network and existing rights of way.
Development which may affect strategic routes will not normally be permitted unless provision can be made to maintain the continuity of the route, and its relation to any linear feature, to the satisfaction of the City Council.
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
These routes have potential to provide safe access to and between the major areas of open land and countryside for pedestrians, cyclists and, in appropriate cases, horse-riders. The development of a continuous network will increase access to, and use of countryside recreation resources. The provision of sensitive landscaping along routes, incorporating the planting of native trees and shrubs will also assist wildlife migration throughout the City - in accordance with policy EN5.
The routes form part of a countywide network of Strategic Recreation Routes which will be developed and promoted in conjunction with neighbouring local authorities. The Strategic Recreation Route network within Salford is shown on the Recreation Strategy Diagram. This network may, in the longer term, offer potential for further improvement and expansion, including a circular walk close to the City boundary with links into adjoining Districts.
Access to the Countryside
Policy (Part I)
R8 - The City Council will improve and promote access to the countryside and recreation areas where this:
a) does not conflict with the existing land uses
b) is unlikely to harm the amenity of residential properties, the character or appearance of the surrounding area, or the amenity of an open area and
c) does not have an unacceptable effect on the ecological or landscape quality of the area
Methods of improving and promoting access will include:
i. improving signposting and publicity
ii. improving facilities for the disabled and other disadvantaged groups
iii. encouraging the provision of improved public transport facilities
iv. maintaining, enhancing and, where appropriate, extending the rights of way network
v. establishing new access routes and areas of public access where appropriate
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
This policy seeks to increase the use of existing and potential countryside and recreation facilities by improving awareness of those facilities and facilitating access to them by all sectors of the community. The policy will make best use of existing resources and help to maximise recreational opportunities and reduce conflicts between differing recreational demands.
The City Council will prepare an Access Strategy which will establish the Council's priorities and programmes for countryside access including proposals for the management of routes once established. This will essentially be an action strategy for the City Council but it will form Supplementary Planning Guidance as defined in paragraph 1.5 of the Written Statement. The Strategy will be subject to public consultation and its aims will be:
- to provide good links between important countryside recreation areas and between town and country
- to provide or improve access for as wide a range of users as possible
- to promote effective links between public transport and countryside recreation areas
- to encourage co-operation between landowners, the City Council and user groups and
- to reduce conflict between competing demands for countryside resources: agriculture, wildlife habitats, recreation
The Access Strategy will promote the development of Strategic Recreation Routes and the improvement of key public rights of way. These routes will be identified on an Ordnance Survey base plan to enable detailed consideration, to be given at the public consultation stage.
Ancillary Recreation Facilities
Policy (Part I)
R9 - The City Council will encourage the provision of ancillary recreation facilities such as visitor centres and car parks where appropriate and particularly within Country Parks, along Strategic Recreation Routes and adjacent to areas of interest for education purposes.
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
This policy seeks to ensure that maximum use can be made of existing recreational facilities and encourage appropriate ancillary development which will improve access to those facilities.
Private Recreation Facilities
Policy (Part I)
R10 - The City Council will support the development and improvement of private sector recreation facilities where these are appropriate and do not conflict with other policies.
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
The City Council wishes to meet needs and relieve deficiencies in recreation provision throughout the City. The development of private facilities which complement and contrast with those provided by the City Council will help to broaden the range of recreation facilities available to Salford residents.
Provision of Country Parks
Policy (Part II)
R11 - The City Council will develop the following sites as Country Parks in accordance with policy R5:
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
This proposal seeks to ensure the adequate provision of strategic countryside recreational facilities within the City.
Clifton House Farm, Clifton Marina and Wet Earth Colliery together form a strategically important site providing a focal point within the Croal Irwell Valley and on the City's Strategic Recreation Routes network. An Action Plan has been prepared to guide the development of the area as a country park, catering for a broad range of both formal recreational pursuits such as horse riding and fishing, and informal recreational pursuits such as the study of local and natural history, industrial archaeology and farming. The Action Plan will form Supplementary Planning Guidance as defined in paragraph 1.5 of the Unitary Development Plan.
The principal components of the Action Plan are:
- the reclamation and environmental improvement of the Country Park
- the restoration and continued operation of Clifton House Farm
- the provision of visitor centre facilities
- the provision of footpaths, cycleways and bridlepaths
- improvements to access and car parking
- the interpretation of industrial remains associated with the Wet Earth Colliery and
- the protection, improvement and management of woodland and open land
The Country Park would also be a suitable location for extensive tree planting as part of the wider proposal to develop a "Community Forest" along the western edge of the Greater Manchester conurbation (see policy EN8).
The Country Park includes two Sites of Biological Importance - Unity Brook and Oakwood - which will be protected in accordance with policy EN5/ii.
This proposal incorporates proposals 43 and 44 of the Croal Irwell Valley Local Plan and proposals A1, A2 and A3 of the Swinton Local Plan.
The Blackleach site provides a large expanse of open water and associated vacant and under-used land in close proximity to Walkden town centre and to the densely developed urban area of north Walkden.
In the Walkden and Little Hulton Local Plan the site was allocated for a mixture of housing, recreation and open land uses, with the intention that the reservoir should be drained and infilled to facilitate residential development. The existing reservoir and a former reservoir site to the north have, however, subsequently been identified as a Site of Biological Importance and much of the surrounding land remains largely incapable of development due to adverse ground conditions. The site is situated on the City's Strategic Recreation Routes Network and is therefore potentially accessible to a wide area and a great many people. It also provides a potential recreational buffer between the urban area and the farmland of Linnyshaw Moss.
A provisional 10 year programme of reclamation and improvement works has already been identified. This programme will be developed in more detail through the preparation of an Action Plan to guide the development of Blackleach as a Country Park. The Action Plan will form Supplementary Planning Guidance as defined in paragraph 1.5 of the Unitary Development Plan. The Action Plan will seek to:
- improve the appearance and use of the land for a mixture of formal and informal recreation
- improve access to and within the country park through the provision of a network of footpaths, cycleways and, if appropriate, bridlepaths
- manage, develop and promote the existing wildlife resource
- provide a visitor centre and associated visitor facilities and
- identify areas for extensive tree planting possibly as part of the wider initiative to create a "Community Forest" along the western edge of the Greater Manchester conurbation (see policy EN8)
In addition the City Council will seek to either purchase, or gain management agreements to all land within the Country Park.
Development of the site as a Country Park will compensate for open space deficiencies within the surrounding area and will increase access to countryside recreation facilities in an area of relatively low car ownership. It will also form an important component in the City's integrated system of countryside recreation areas, urban parks and open spaces in accordance with policy R3.
3. Slack Brook Valley, Pendlebury
This is a major area of open land which is situated within the Croal Irwell Valley and which offers considerable potential for development as both a recreational and environmental resource. Its location close to the urban area and on the City's Strategic Recreation Routes network render it potentially accessible to a large number of people and its development as a Country Park will make a major contribution towards meeting local recreational needs.
An Action Plan for the Country Park has been prepared to guide environmental improvement, recreational development and nature conservation. The principal components of the Action Plan include:
i. the development of an overall landscape strategy for the valley
ii. the reclamation of derelict land
iii. the remodelling of existing land forms to recreate, as far as possible, the valley topography
iv. the provision of woodland, possibly as part of a wider initiative to develop a "Community Forest" along the western edge of the Greater Manchester conurbation (see policy EN8)
v. the formation of a footpath and cycleway network and the improvement of access to the urban area and the remainder of the Croal Irwell Valley
vi. the protection of Sites of Biological Importance (grassland and heath off Cliveley Avenue and marsh near Clifton Junction) in accordance with policy EN5/ii and
vii. the interpretation of industrial remains
It is anticipated that the implementation of the Action Plan will be a long term process perhaps extending even beyond the ten year timescale of the UDP. The Action Plan will form Supplementary Planning Guidance as detailed in paragraph 1.5 of the Unitary Development Plan.
Slack Brook Valley may well contain mineral deposits. Mineral extraction or waste disposal within the Country Park will only be permitted where it forms part of a wider reclamation scheme and satisfies policy EN23 (Croal Irwell Valley) and the UDP's policies on minerals and waste.
Implementation of the Country Park proposal will also necessitate the eventual relocation of some existing industrial uses along Lumns Lane and to the south of City Walk and possibly also the Lumns Lane Civic Amenity Tip.
This proposal modifies proposals C7, C10, C11, C12, C14, C15, C16 and C17 of the Swinton Local Plan and proposals 21 to 26 of the Croal Irwell Valley Local Plan.
Provision of Recreation Land and Facilities
Policy (Part II)
R12 - The following sites are allocated for recreation in accordance with policies R2 and R3:
- Former Stowell Memorial Playing Field, Ordsall (0.6ha)
- Land at Kersal High School, Kersal (3.2ha)
- Land adjacent to Duncan Mathieson Playing Fields, Claremont (3.6ha)
- Land off Rutland Road, Chatsworth Road, Eccles ("Three Sisters" site) (3.7ha)
- Playing Fields at Buckthorn Lane, Peel Green, Winton (2.6ha)
- Land at Swinton Sewage Treatment Works, Swinton South (29.1ha)
- Langley Road, Pendlebury (1.5ha)
- Clifton Sewage Treatment Works and Adjoining Land, Pendlebury (18.0ha)
- Former Robin Hood Sidings and Adjacent Land, Pendlebury (19.2ha)
- Former Cory Coal Site, Ravenscraig Road, Little Hulton (Ashton's Field) (7.1ha)
- Dukes Gate, Walkden North (8.2ha)
- Land to West and South of the Former Peel Hall Hospital, Little Hulton (4.8ha)
- Land to the North of Simpson Grove, Worsley and Boothstown (2.1ha)
- Land Adjacent to the Bridgewater Canal, Worsley and Boothstown (21.6ha)
- Former Ferry Hill Tip, North of Ferry Road, Irlam (10.4ha)
- River Irwell Old Course, Fairhills Road to Ferry Road, Irlam (7.7ha)
- Platts Brook, Irlam (1.1ha)
- Land off Sandy Lane, Irlam (1.0ha)
- Land to the Rear of Irlam Pool (0.7ha)
- Glaze Brook Valley, Cadishead (13.0ha)
- Liverpool Road, Mytholme Avenue, Cadishead (1.0ha)
The City Council will seek to improve and develop the sites for either formal or informal recreational use or as areas of public open space, and will protect the sites from any development which would either result in their loss or would prejudice their development as a recreational resource, in accordance with policy R1.
Reasoned Justification (Part II)
The development of these sites will help to ensure the adequate provision and distribution of recreation land and facilities throughout the City.
1. Former Stowell Memorial Playing Field, Ordsall
This former school playing field falls within the Howard Street Redevelopment Area. The site offers potential to provide a valuable facility for both organised junior football and a local kick-about area.
2. Land at Kersal High School, Kersal
This is a steeply sloping and prominent site which suffers from neglect and under use. The site offers potential to create an attractive link between the Singleton Brook and Castle Hill areas thereby facilitating public access between two important areas of open space. Restoration of the site by the removal of tipped material, additional landscaping, improvements to boundary fencing and provision of a footpath and fence to the school boundary will render the site more accessible whilst ensuring the privacy of adjoining residents.
This proposal incorporates proposal B15 of the Kersal and Pendleton Local Plan.
3. Land adjacent to Duncan Mathieson Playing Fields, Claremont
This site is owned by the City Council and is currently vacant and underused. The site will be improved for recreational use when resources permit.
This proposal is brought forward from the Monton Claremont and Seedley Local Plan (Proposal A28).
4. Land off Rutland Road, Chatsworth Road, Eccles ("Three Sisters" site)
This site is greatly valued by the local community as an informal recreational area and a wildlife resource. Recently three ponds on the site have been designated a Site of Biological Importance. This proposal seeks to retain the site as public open space.
5. Playing Fields at Blackthorn Lane, Peel Green, Winton
These school playing fields are likely to become surplus to educational requirements as a result of the reorganisation of primary and secondary school provision within this part of the City.
Use as public playing fields would be compatible with the sites Green Belt status and would help to meet local recreational needs.
6. Land at Swinton Sewage Treatment Works, Swinton South
This site is allocated for recreation in the Monton Claremont and Seedley Local Plan (proposal A2) with the intention that it should be used to provide informal open space with playing fields and changing facilities. This proposal seeks to retain the open character of the site, provide publicly accessible open space and contribute to the shortfall in pitches throughout the City. An Action Plan will be prepared which will determine the location of the playing fields, changing rooms and points of access and will provide guidelines for the laying out of the open space. The Action Plan will form Supplementary Planning Guidance as defined in paragraph 1.5 of the Unitary Development Plan.
This is a vacant, elevated and prominent site within the Croal Irwell Valley which has been tipped upon. Landscaping of the site will improve the outlook for the adjacent terraced houses, enhance the appearance of the valley and help to improve public access within the valley.
The proposal has been brought forward from the Kersal and Pendleton Local Plan (proposal B4) and the Croal Irwell Valley Local Plan (proposal 18).
8. Clifton Sewage Treatment Works and Adjoining Land, Pendlebury
This is a fairly bleak and remote area of vacant and underused land within the Croal Irwell Valley which would benefit from environmental improvements. It is intended that the site will be subject to extensive tree planting and the provision of footpaths in order to improve its appearance and to integrate it more fully into the valley network of linked open spaces. There may well be mineral deposits beneath the site. Mineral working may facilitate the restoration of the site and the creation of a water area.
This is a modification of proposal 27 of the Croal Irwell Valley Local Plan and proposal C19 of the Swinton Local Plan.
9. Former Robin Hood Sidings and Adjacent Land, Pendlebury
This site is allocated for public open space in the Swinton Local Plan (proposal C4) and forms an important open space link with the Croal Irwell Valley. The site would benefit from additional tree planting and footpath works.
10. Former Cory Coal Site, Ravenscraig Road, Little Hulton (Ashton's Field)
This former colliery site, which has recently become vacant, provides a buffer between an existing housing area lacking in open space provision and proposed industrial allocation (EC13/22). The site forms part of an important link between the proposed Blackleach Country Park (R11/2) and the recreation proposal for Dukes Gate (R12/11). Reclamation of the site for open space will also integrate it more fully into the City's Strategic Recreation Routes Network (R7).
Dependent on site investigations and the method of reclamation the City Council will consider some flexibility on site between R12/10 and EC13/22 to achieve the appropriate overall development for recreation and industry.
This proposal has been carried forward in a modified form from the Walkden and Little Hulton Local Plan (Proposal R1C).
11. "Dukes Gate", Walkden North
This is an area of vacant and overgrown land situated between the Cleggs Lane Housing Estate and the M61 motorway. The site provides an open space buffer between housing and the motorway and offers potential to be more fully integrated into the City's Strategic Recreation Routes Network through the improvement of the former Linnyshaw Loop Line, in accordance with policy R7. The site is capable of accommodating a range of formal and informal recreational uses in an area which is relatively deficient in terms of open space and recreation. Recreation provision should be accompanied by extensive tree planting and the creation of a variety of wildlife habitats. Consideration will also be given to the provision of children's play area.
This proposal carries forward the substance of proposal R1D of the Walkden and Little Hulton Local Plan.
12. Land to the West and South of the Former Peel Hall Hospital, Little Hulton
This site comprises mature woodland and open land which is to be retained and improved as an area of public open space in association with adjoining housing development (see proposal H9/28).
13. Land to the North of Simpson Grove, Worsley and Boothstown
This site is the only large area of open space to the north of Leigh Road in Boothstown and as such needs to be protected as a recreational resource. In order to improve the site and develop its recreational potential, additional drainage and tree planting is required.
This proposal has been brought forward unaltered from the Worsley and Boothstown Local Plan (proposal A22).
14. Land Adjacent to the Bridgewater Canal, Worsley and Boothstown
This land is required to meet the recreation and open space needs of the Boothstown area which will increase as adjoining land is developed for housing (see proposal H9/40). It is anticipated that the land will provide both public and private outdoor facilities as well as areas of woodland and public open space with associated footpaths and bridleways. The land will be laid out in accordance with the broad principles established in a development brief approved by the City Council in May 1983. It will be necessary to construct a new road across the eastern part of the site to provide access to the proposed housing site to the north.
The proposal carries forward the substance of proposals A12, A14, A15 and A16 of the Worsley and Boothstown Local Plan.
15. Former Ferry Hill Tip, North of Ferry Road, Irlam
This is a former domestic refuse tip which has been partially reclaimed and which comprises rough grassland and marginal grazing land. The site suffers from poor drainage and is considered to be largely incapable of built development as a result of tipping. Further restoration of the site by improvements to drainage and landscape enhancement will enable the site to be developed for a range of formal and informal recreational purposes.
16. River Irwell Old Course, Fairhills Road to Ferry Hill Road, Irlam
The old river course is an area of high landscape value which is well used by local anglers. It is also a Site of Biological Importance. Careful management of the site will enable additional facilities such as footpaths and fishing platforms to be provided without undue detriment to the landscape or the ecology of the area. Careful siting and design of the proposed adjacent housing development in accordance with a recent outline planning permission should also enhance the setting of the old river course and, in this respect, there should be no encroachment of the housing development within 30 metres of the top of the riverbank. (see proposal H9/44).
Land to the north and east of Platts Brook will be improved and protected as an area of informal public open space to compliment adjoining land to the west of the brook which is to be developed for housing (see proposal H9/43). A new road from Ferry Hill Road which will service the housing development will cross the brook and the recreation site. Landscape improvement works will be undertaken by the housing developer.
18. Land off Sandy Lane, Irlam
This is an existing open space within an otherwise densely developed residential area. The City Council will seek to improve its appearance and use by additional landscaping and the provision of footpaths and will give consideration to the provision of a children's play area.
19. Land to the Rear of Irlam Pool
This land will be reserved for the future extension of Irlam Pool to improve the level and range of recreation facilities on offer. The pool is well used by the residents of Irlam and Cadishead and its extension will enable the City Council to cater for modern recreational demands. As part of the extension to the pool, consideration will be given to the provision of community facilities such as meeting rooms, exhibition space and refreshment facilities.
20. Glaze Brook Valley, Cadishead
The Glaze Brook Valley is a potentially very attractive area of open land on the fringe of Cadishead where, in recent years, the City Council, in association with the Groundwork Trust, have completed a small number of environmental improvement schemes. Further improvement works, including the completion of a continuous footpath cycleway network between the A57 and the former Irlam to Partington Railway Line to provide a link in the Strategic Recreation Route Network, will increase the recreational use of the valley and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.
This proposal does not imply any public access to the operational area of Irlam Waste Water Treatment Works, which is located in the Glaze Brook Valley, nor will it prejudice the existing or future operation of the works.
21. Liverpool Road, Mytholme Avenue, Cadishead
This is an untidy site at one of the gateways to the City. It offers potential for improvement in environmental terms and can be linked into the Glazebrook Valley area through the provision of a footpath from Liverpool Road to Rosebank Road. This footpath will form part of the City's Strategic Recreation Route Network (see proposal R7).
NEXT: Social, Community and Education Provision
This page was last updated on 22 October 2009
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