Page 46 - ALG Issue 1 2017

Greater Manchester Spatial Framework
Draft Salford Local Plan
A bold plan to establish new homes, jobs and green space across Greater Manchester over the next 20 years is to be considered by council leaders.
The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) is a joint plan between the ten local authorities to manage growth and land allocation sustainably.
It has been created to make sure that new homes, jobs and transport links are in the right places, leaving space
for economic and cultural growth as
the city-region continues to grow over the next few decades. Without the plan, the allocation of land would not be controlled and developments would happen in places that would not bene t local communities. To account for the population increase, the plan is to make sure there are enough amenities and social provision within the city.
It is estimated that Salford needs 34,000 extra homes to cope with
future demand based on national and economic forecasts – with 193,000 homes needed across the rest of Greater Manchester. Salford City Council already has plans for where most of those homes will be built.
Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett said: “Greater Manchester is growing fast so we need to manage the supply of land. In Salford we have identi ed brown eld sites that would be best for development to save our most valuable green spaces.”
Salford Allotment
Federation
The Federation is recommending that within the development of the dwellings, the planning will include 5000 square metres of allotments per 1000 households.
This standard equates to the provision of 20 plots per 1000 households as referred to in the City Council’s Allotment Strategy and is recommended by the NAS, but allows exibility for half size plots (of 125 square metres) to be provided, which will enable as many residents as possible to take an allotment. We would point out that the 34,000 extra homes for Salford are made up of 30% houses and 70% apartments that will have no garden space whatsoever.
Don Booth
Chair Salford Allotment Federation
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Tallest Sun ower Competition
Every year on our allotment site, King George V allotments in Audenshaw, we hold ‘the tallest sun ower competition’ as we wanted to encourage a bit of community spirit on the allotments. This is the third year now and it has got quite competitive (in a friendly manner!) with top secret decisions over seed type and watering; apparently it’s all in the seed.
Everyone on the allotments can enter and the tallest one on each plot is measured with a very long stick. We measure the week before our annual allotment show in September. The trick is not to peak too early or the ower heads topple forward losing vital centimetres!
Our results this year were very close: 1st prize The Hills at 317cm, 2nd prize Alan and Barbara at 310cm and 3rd prize to Jon, Gina and Joshua at 300cm. Prizes are vouchers from our allotment shop.
There is often a bit of friendly banter and people checking out the ‘competition’. The added bonus is that the sun owers look like
cheerful giants across the allotments.
They are fun to grow whatever your age and are great at attracting wildlife such as bees and hover ies in summer, then birds feeding on the seeds in autumn. I do Forest School sessions on my allotment with my childminded children and we love exploring the textures and patterns of the giant seed heads and we also share some with our school.
Why don’t you have a go and see if you can beat our sun owers?
Rachael Hill