They want to build a new village here - but neighbours say life will be 'ruined'

Plans to build a village on green belt band between Hyde and Hattersley have taken a step forward with a £150,000 grant from Homes England.

The money, given to the project via Greater Manchester Combined Authority is intended to help the council with the process to secure all the plots of land necessary. Meanwhile Tameside Council has committed an additional £75,000 to the scheme.

The proposed Godley Green Garden Village development, which will see 2,150 homes built on green belt countryside and pastureland over a 15 year period, was given outline planning approval by the council back in November 2023. But residents nearby say the loss of green belt will 'ruin' the area - and are raising funds for a Judicial Review.

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The proposal would see a new 'village' split by Godley Brook into an east half and a west half, each with its own local centre including up to 1,300 sqm of retail space, 1,600 sqm of commercial and 1,000 sqm of local community uses. Godley Green was first included in the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) masterplan in 2016, expected to take 15 years to complete.

The GMSF - since renamed Places for Everyone - is a Greater Manchester-wide plan to build thousands of houses across the region up to 2050. It's been controversial because it has allocated some green belt land for housing. It's been officially adopted by all of Greater Manchester's councils except Stockport.

Following the most recent developments with the Godley Garden Village project in Tameside, Coun Jack Naylor, executive member for inclusive growth, business & employment, said: “The Godley Green Garden Village is a really exciting and large-scale