Final Feasibility Study Small

8/13/2019 Final Feasibility Study Small

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MOSTON BROOK FEASIBILITY STUDY

1. CONTENTS

1.1. Executive Summary 3

1.2. Acknowledgements 3

2. INTRODUCTION

2.1. Purpose of the Feasibil ity Study Aim and Objectives 4

2.2. Study Area 5

2.3. Brief Site History 52.4. Site Description 6

3. BASELINE STUDY AND ANALYSIS

3.1. Site Analysis 8

3.1.1. Physical 8

3.1.2. Ecological 9

3.1.3. Social 113.1.4. Cultural 14

3.2. Strategic Context 16

3.3. Strategies and pol icies 16

3.4. Locations and communications 28

3.5. Local Demographics 29

3.6. Contaminated Land 30

3.7. Water Quality 30

3.8. Land Use 31

3.9. Land Ownership 32

3.10. Access Audit 32

3.11. Good Practice Review Case Studies 33

3.12. Landscape Character Assessment 35

3.13. SWOT Analysis 43

1 MOSTON BROOK FEASIBILITY STUDY


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4. CONSULTATION PROCESS AND METHODOLOGIES

4.1. Identification of Key Stakeholders 46

4.2. Consultation Process 47

4.2.1 Future Consultation 50

4.3. Analysis of Results 51

5. NEW ASPIRATIONS VISION

5.1. Overview of Proposals: The aspirational plan 53

5.2. Site Management 55

6. THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN

6.1. Delivery & Phasing 60

6.2. Funding Opportunit ies 62

6.3. Delivery Risks 65

6.4. The Aspirational Master Plan 66

6.5 Key Recommendations 67

7. APPENDICES 68

8. BIBLIOGRAPHY 69



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1 CONTENTS

1.1 Executive Summary

Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale were commissioned by Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council andManchester City Council in June 2007 to produce a study and Aspirational Masterplan of the MostonBrook River Corridor.

The commission was undertaken in order to provide an assessment of the quality of the site at presentand its potential to be a quality green space in the future. In order to produce this study extensivecommunity consultation was done in order to put together the masterplan. Groundwork Oldham &Rochdale have worked in close partnership with a number of organisations, in particular the respectiveleads from the Local Authorities, the Environment Agency and Greater Manchester Waste DisposalAuthority.

Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale in production of this study also commissioned a Phase 1 EcologicalSurvey produced by Greater Manchester Ecological Unit and the Preliminary Risk Assessment done byParsons Brinckerhoff in order to inform this study of the ecological and contaminated land issuesinvolved in developing this site for the future.

The study was also informed by the Pollution Prevention report done by Atkins on behalf of theEnvironment Agency in 2002.

The masterplan produced portrays the overall vision for the future developments of the area surroundingthe Moston brook.

1.2 Acknowledgments

Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale would like to thank all the residents and local schools who haveparticipated with the consultation for this study and for those residents who took part in the physicalworks on site.

Also special thanks to A. J. Hampson who provided CD with photos and comments.



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2 INTRODUCTION

2.1 Purpose of the Feasibil ity Study Aims and Objectives

The objective of the Feasibility Study is to identify the potentials and constraints of Moston Brook andmake recommendations to bring forward the derelict, underused, and neglected Moston Brook, MostonFairway, and Broadway Common sites in the Irk Valley for soft end-use development in accordance withan agreed strategic vision for the area.

The project has emerged from a dialogue established between Manchester City Council, OldhamMetropolitan Borough Council, Groundwork Oldham and Rochdale, and Groundwork Manchester,Salford and Trafford.

The aims of the project are:

Development of a strategic vision for the site in response to the data collated on the site, the

constraints, the potential, and the views of users. Development of a programme in accordance with this vision, which will enable the

transformation and remediation of derelict, underused, neglected, and often contaminated landfor soft end use to be achieved.

Implementation of the programme, over the short, medium and long-term, to realise the plannedtransformation.

The attraction and retention of internal and external funding to enable the development of theprogramme beyond March 2008.

The overall project will be in two phases. The first phase entails a programme of site investigations andstakeholder consultation designed to identify the extent of existing contamination and to understandmore fully the cause and extent of other problems and constraints within the site, from which a vision forthe sites future will be agreed. It will also include a review of the existing site information and develop

links with the key stakeholders and local community.

Informed by this the second phase will involve the development of an aspirational master plan for thesite, which will be realised through the production of a delivery plan setting out the physicalimprovements, site reclamation, and stakeholder engagement activities required to create a strategiccountryside recreation resource for the benefit of the local community within both authorities.

The site is required to be:

Developed for soft end use purposes,

Made safe and accessible, through remediation if required, and form a strategic open spaceresource, as part of the wider Irk Valley and Rochdale Canal corridors, for the benefit of the localarea and the surrounding parts of the sub-region.

The aspiration is to seek to create a positive environmental image that promotes economic growth byproviding a high quality sustainable landscape and green gateway to NE Manchester and SW Oldham.



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2.2 Study Area

The study area falls within the OS tiles SD8901ne, SD8901nw, SD8902se, SD8802se, SD8802sw,

SD8801ne, SD8801nw, SD8801se, SD8801sw and SD8701se.

The project area stretches across two local authority areas: Manchester City Council and OldhamMetropolitan Borough Council. Moston Brook runs west to east across the site and delineates theboundary between the two local authorities. The majority of the Manchester part of the site falls withinthe ward of Moston although a small section to the southwest falls within the Miles Platting and NewtonHeath ward. Most of the Oldham section lies within the Failsworth West ward, although small sections tothe west fall within the wards of Failsworth East and Chadderton South. The corridor forms a continuouslinear green space that connects with the wider Irk Valley greenspace network through LightbowneCountry Park and the Newlands site at Moston Vale. The site covers a total of 60.34 Ha.

The project area consists of the upper reaches of Moston Brook and the adjacent Moston Fairway (orMoston Railway Sidings) site. The upper Moston Brook section compromises 3 linked sites, which along

with Moston Fairway make up the overall project area as follows:

1. Wrigley Head (Moston Brook) = 12.96 Ha2. Hardman Fold (Moston Brook) = 13.80 Ha3. Broadway Common (Moston Brook) = 26.11 Ha4. Moston Fairway = 7.47 Ha

2.3 Brief Site History

In the 14th century the area around Moston Brook was open countryside with farming settlements suchas Hardman Fold farm. By the 16th century washing and bleaching of linen was an important economic

activity in the area. Moston Brook was an active part of the northern sector of Cottonopolis during the18th and 19th centuries. This area was pre-dominantly concerned with bleaching and dyeing as part ofthe finishing process of manufacturing cotton fabrics and Moston Brook became specialised in theseprocesses.

By 1848 Moston Mill Print Works was close to the junctions of Williams Road with St Marys Road. Themill was associated to a mill pond and a mill race to the north of the brook. A weir near Mill Lane bridgethat was possibly linked to the mill race is still visible and in a good condition. Spring Valley Dye Workswere located to the south of the brook, approximately to the west to what is currently known asLancaster Club.

Extracting activities have also been carried out in the past in sand pits and clay pits. The latter wereprobably linked to the brick works that were located on both sides of Hale Lane. The landfill site currently

known as Hardman Fold was a large clay pit. Other areas used as clay and sand pits were a site to thenorth of the Lancaster Club and a site situated south of Williams Road.

The edge alongside the railway in Moston Fairway has been used as railway sidings and it was knownas Moston Exchange Sidings.

Residential development has progressed since the 18thcentury. Rochdale Canal opened at Failsworth in

1804 and the new railway line through Failsworth opened in 1880. New housing south of Moston Brookstarted to develop around existing built areas in Failsworth and Newton Heath and alongside RochdaleCanal. On the northern side of Moston Brook housing started in the 1890s on the area currently knownas Belgrave Road and progressively extended towards the Fairway.

Landfill activities have taken place almost in all the project area (see appendix E). Refuse heaps are

visible in OS maps dated from 1949 onwards. Tipping started prior to the Control of Pollution Act 1974therefore the exact nature of the fills material is unknown on these sites and many of them closed in the



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1990s. Hardman Fold is the landfill that has been active until very recently and the GMWDA still holdsthe land although the landfill is currently closed. As a consequence of the landfill activities an area of thebrook in Broadway Common was culverted and filled in creating a flat land that currently links theFairway and Park Avenue.

The area around Wrigley Head bridge is known by local residents as the White Stuff or the White Hillsin reference to the brickworks waste that formed steep and unstable hills alongside the brook. Thesehills were reprofiled during the landscaping works that were carried out in the early 1980s.

Old maps show that Moston Brook has two tributaries Hole Bottom brook and Bower brook howeverboth brooks and the confluence that gives birth to Moston brook are culverted and the brooks are onlyvisible in old maps going back to 1910. In the 1990s a secondary tunnel that emerges alongside the oldtunnel was constructed. This tunnel takes the water runoff from the M60.

During the 1980s major brook reprofiling and landscaping works were carried out. Paths and steps wereconstructed and the waterway edges were reinforced and some of the valley slopes were smoothed.Drainage channels were also incorporated. British Rail carried out some planting to stabilise the

embankments and fencing was also installed along the railway. At the same time a tunnel underneaththe railway in Alfred Street in Failsworth was infilled reducing the number of access points.

Recreational activities have also taken place in the past in Moston Brook. The Lower Memorial Parkdates back to the 1930s. Broadway Common has also had tennis grounds (1910) and a golf drivingrange (1970s). The allotments occupied a longer stretch along Broadway during war times and MostonFairway used to be a golf course. Football matches used to be played at the Ferranti football pitch inWrigley Head and the current Alsatian dogs training club used to be a bowling green (1930s). During the1980s Manchester City Councils Education Department created an urban farm in the south-westernedge of the project area. The farm closed in the early 1990s.

The past history of Moston Brook shows that a lot has been going on in the area and it could potentiallyhold some interesting industrial archaeology.

The strength of the water has eroded the waterway edges and lack of maintenance has neglected thesite to the current overgrown state.

2.4 Site description

The site is made up of several parcels of land, split into sections by housing, the A663 Broadway (amain arterial road route), Hale Lane (a smaller urban road), and the Rochdale Canal, the site includesformer landfill sites and disused railway sidings. The majority of the site falls within the borough ofOldham.

The Moston Brook watercourse delineates the boundary between the two local authorities for almost theentire site and is classed by the Environment Agency as a main river. It flows east to west through thesite and is culverted in part. The Brook suffers considerably from contamination and has poor waterquality. The Rochdale Canal, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area ofConservation, also crosses the Project area along its eastern edge in Oldham. This provides animportant recreational link and offers additional access to the site.

The Moston Brook and Broadway Common sites are made up of a mosaic of broadleaved woodland andneutral grassland and is used predominantly for informal recreation, but has degenerated over the yearswith limited access, management and maintenance. The brook has a mosaic of habitats found along itsbank that include marshy grassland, which is mainly dominated by hard rush and hairy sedge.

Moston Fairway, a Site of Biological Importance, is a spur of neglected open space close to the western

edge of the site, providing an important link to the eastern edge of the Irk Valley in Manchester. The siteconsists of a variety of habitats that include large swathes of marshy grassland with occasional pools of



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3 BASELINE STUDY AND ANALYSIS

3.1 Site Analysis

3.1.1 Physical

3.1.1.1 Geology

The Moston Brook area has developed on mainly Bunter Sandstone and Manchester marl (clays) thatare Permo-Triassic in origin.

Bunter Sandstone deposits contain rounded pebbles and are thought to be alluvial deposits, androunding of the mainly quartzite pebbles have resulted from prolonged transportation in a large andturbulent river. The deposits in the English Midlands are thought to have been transported in this wayNorthwards from Brittany, France.

Marls are calcium carbonate or lime-rich muds or mudstones, which contain variable amounts of claysand calcite. The term is most often used to describe lacustrine (lake) sediments but may also be usedfor marine deposits.

The area is underlain with middle coal measures, mainly Carboniferous Westphalian B, and Moston Pit(also called the Roger Mine) mined these coal measures. Open seam coal mining had been carried outin the district since the 16th century and in 1840 Moston Pit sunk its first pit shaft. The pit sufferedregular flooding and closed its gates and sealed the shafts in 1950. Some of the shafts run under theMoston Brook area.

The Moston Fault runs NW- SE through the site from the Fairway Reserve to near Mill St. off OldhamRoad, Failsworth. This will have exposed some of the seams and will lead to coal near the surface.

Moston Brook as landfill has an artificial soil profile, and the borehole data around the edge of the siteshow a variation from free drained sandy soils to imperfectly drained gleys in keeping with the variablegeology of the area.

3.1.1.2 Hydrology

The brook within the project area is a mixture of open and culverted channel and runs through highlyurbanised parts of NE Manchester and SW Oldham. The brook rises in NE Manchester / SW Oldhamnear the Rochdale Canal and discharges into the River Irk, this being outside of the project area. Thebrook is classified by the Environment Agency as a major river. The brook has several, small, unnamedtributaries. Historical maps show that Moston Brook starts at the confluence of Hole Bottom Brook andBower Brook on the southern side of Rochdale Canal. Only a segment of Hole Bottom Brook is currently

open and visible.

The brook suffers considerably from contamination and it is subject to several licensed dischargeconsents.

3.1.1.3 Topography

The project area presents a topography that is the result of years of human intervention.

Site 1: Moston Fairway

The former railway siding is a mainly flat area of land that lies below the backs of the surrounding

houses. The western edge of the area slopes down towards the Manchester to Rochdale railway. Theentrances to the site are at the same level of adjacent houses and they gently slope down to the area.



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Site 2: Broadway Common

The extensive landfill that has taken place in the past in the central part of the compartment has covered

part of the brook and this has created a large even area of land that links both sides of the valley. Thesegments of the brook on either side of the landfill are below the surrounding areas sloping down gentlyon the southern edge of the brook and it is steeper on the northern edge. This height difference andslope becomes more dramatic on the most southern edge of the brook where the land becomesinaccessible in most parts.

Site 3: Hardman Fold

The shape of the land has changed on this area due again to human activity. The southern edge hasbeen a clay pit in the past that has been landfilled and this has given to this area a mound shape thatgently slopes up and down between Hale Lane and Broadway. The land adjacent to the brook is belowthe landfill and surrounding houses and it presents more dramatic slopes that are steeper along thenorthern edge. There are areas adjacent to the backs of the houses along the northwestern edge of the

site that are flat and at the same level as the surrounding houses and Broadway.

Site 4: Wrigley Head

The Rochdale Canal dominates the northwestern edge of the area and is predominantly flat and at thesame level as the surrounding houses. The flat area becomes large at the southern edge of the canalhowever the small area occupied by Hole Bottom Brook dramatically slopes down.

The Manchester Oldham railway runs at a higher level at the southern edge of the site isolating it fromthe surrounding houses and providing an enclosure at the same time.

An embankment forms the northern edge of Moston Brook and it slopes steeply down from thesurrounding backs of the houses. This embankment is very steep and inaccessible at some points. Thesouthern edge slopes down in a more gentle and accessible way and it is flat in the areas closer to thecanal.

The southwest edge of this compartment forms a small mound that gently slopes up from Hale Lane.

3.1.2 Ecological

The Rochdale Canal is a Site of Special Scientific Interest(SSSI). The SSSIs are Englands best wildlifesites and they support plants and animals that find it more difficult to survive in the wider countryside.The Rochdale Canal supports very important aquatic plant communities, some of them very rare (e.g.floating water plantain).

The Rochdale Canal is also a Special Area of Conservation(SAC). A SAC is a site that has been givenspecial protection under the European Unions Habitats Directive. The SACs are part of a Europeannetwork of protected wildlife areas and they provide increased protection to a variety of wild animals,plants and habitats. The designation is recognition that some or all of the wildlife and habitats areparticularly valued in a European context.

Site of Biological Importance (SBI) is the name given to non-statutory sites for nature conservation inGreater Manchester and they contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity of an area along withinternationally designated sites (SAC) and national sites (SSSI). Greater Manchester Ecology Unit hasdesignated Moston Fairway as Railway Sidings at Failsworth Site of Biological Importance.and it hasGrade Awhich is a recognition of importance in a sub-regional (Greater Manchester) context. It meansthat the habitat is one of the best representations of that habitat type within the region and the species

present are one or more of the regionally rare species (Manchester Biodiversity Strategy, 2005). MostonFairway supports rare habitats for the sub-region, and a range of unusual and locally rare plants.



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These designated areas are mapped in appendix S.

A high amount of waste disposal activities have been taken place in the area since the 1940s therefore

much of the area is made ground. Land reclamation has been carried out in the past in the form of soilspreading, grassland seeding, tree planting and landscaping which has created a range of semi-naturalhabitats. The variation in substrate conditions has led to a diversity of habitats across relatively smallareas.

There are few signs of aquatic life in Moston Brook due to the pollution of the water.

The following priority habitats have been identified in the project area:

Lowland broad leaved woodland. This type of habitats in Manchester are generallyfragmented and isolated therefore the ecosystem functions of the woods are disturbedresulting in a reduction in the number of species.

Marshy grassland

Reedbeds. These habitats are very scarce in Greater Manchester and they are amongst themost important habitats for birds.

Lowland heath. This is an irreplaceable habitat very rare and threatened in GreaterManchester.

Acid grassland. These habitats occur often on post-industrial sites poor in plant nutrients.Their importance comes from the substantial decline of these habitats due to agricultural landdevelopments.

The following habitats have been also identified:

Neutral-acidic semi-improved grassland

Open scrub

Closed scrub

Plantation broad-leaved woodland

These habitats have a low nature conservation value however the urban context in which they are setadds value.

Moston Fairway is different in character to the rest of the project area. The former use as railway sidingshas left an extensive area of railway ballast with a mixture of acidic, calcareous, wet and dry conditions.The existing mosaic of habitats has arisen naturally on the substrates associated to the former land use.The dominant habitats are broadleaved woodland, marshy grassland and acid grassland/heath.

The rest of the project area is a mosaic of broadleaved woodland and neutral grassland. The woodlandis mostly planted and generally even-aged as a consequence of the landscaping works carried outduring the 1980s in the area. However some older woodland blocks along the brook corridor may besemi-natural.

The woodland has formed a closed canopy which is probably the reason why woodland ground layersare generally species poor.

The grassland species occur in different frequencies depending on the substrate conditions. Thegrassland is unmanaged and this situation will eventually lead to the succession of scrub as well asexcluding many herbs and flowering plants.

There are relatively large stands of common reed in Hardman Fold.

Extensive stands of invasive weed Japanese Knotweed are frequent through woodland and grasslandareas as well as along the northern edge of Rochdale Canal. Himalayan Balsam has been also identifiedin woodland flora. A small patch of Giant Hogweed was identified on the most southern edge of the

project area.



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The following species have been identified in the project area:

Song Thrush: priority species for conservation as listed in the UK and Greater ManchesterBiodiversity Action Plan.

House Sparrow: red-listed birds of conservation concern.

Snipe and Kestrel: amber-listed birds of conservation concern.

The habitats present in Moston Brook have the potential to support protected species such as bats,water voles and badgers.

For more details on the ecology of the site see Extended Phase I Habitat Survey produced by GreaterManchester Ecology Unit. While this covers the invasive species which can be found on site, it does notprovide detailed mapping as this would require a more detailed survey. The Greater ManchesterEcology Unit was commissioned in September 2007 to undertake an extended Phase 1 habitat survey ofthe Moston Brook Corridor and Moston Fairway in Manchester and Oldham. Ecologists from the Unitundertook the survey in October 2007.

Two sites within the study area were specially designated for their nature conservation value; theRochdale Canal Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest is a EuropeanDesignated Site of international nature conservation importance and the Railway Sidings at Moston Siteof Biological Importance is a designated site of sub-regional nature conservation importance.

During the survey important habitats were identified that included lowland broad leaved woodland,marshy grassland, reedbed and lowland heath/acid grassland. These habitats are priority habitats forconservation as listed in the National and Greater Manchester Biodiversity Action Plans.

Various other habitats that were also recorded include expanses of neutral-acidic semi-improvedgrassland, open and closed scrub and large blocks of plantation broad-leaved woodland. Thesehabitats, although generally common in the region and not considered to be of high nature conservationvalue, are nevertheless extensive and uncommon in the local area due to the dense urbanisation.

Important species identified during the survey included Song Thrush, House Sparrow and Starling,priority species for conservation as listed in the National and Greater Manchester Biodiversity ActionPlan, and the amber-listed birds of conservation concern Snipe and Kestrel.

The site was considered to have some potential to support the protected species bats, badgers andwater voles.

Extensive stands of the invasive plant Japanese Knotweed were found throughout large parts of thestudy area and the invasive plant Himalayan Balsam was common along the banks of Moston Brook.

Sections of Moston Brook showed signs of significant levels of pollution as indicated by a lack of aquaticinvertebrates in the water course.

3.1.3 Social

The adjacent wards to Moston Brook and Moston Fairway comprise of Failsworth West, Failsworth Eastand Chadderton in Oldham and Moston and Newton Heath in Manchester. These wards enclose thesites with a number of formal and informal entrances allowing access.

The wards are regarded as being areas of high deprivation. The Indices of Deprivation 2000 (ID2000)show that four of the wards are within the 20% most deprived wards, i.e.:



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Table 3.1

Ward Rank of IMD (1 = most deprived) %

Chadderton South 1,134 13.5

Failsworth East 2,405 28.6

Failsworth West 1,642 19.5

Moston 551 6.5

Newton Heath 45 0.5

Source: Communities and Local Government

The Indices of Deprivation 2004 (ID2004) were updated and based on new geographical units named asSuper Output Areas (SOA). Moston Brook sits within the following SOAs:

Oldham: E01005347, E01005368, E01005371, E01005369 and E01005370

Manchester: E01005254, E01005247, E01005248, E01005249 and E01005256

The core of the site is contained within SOAs E01005369 and E01005371.

The Indices of Deprivation 2007 (ID2007) show that of these 10 SOAs, 5 fall within the 20% mostdeprived SOA (as measured using the SOA level IMD rankings for 2007), with the remaining 5 within the38% most deprived SOAs.

Specific types of deprivation for which the project area is regarded as highly deprived include:

Employment deprivation (4 SOAs within the top 20% and 6 within top 35%).

Education deprivation (6 SOAs within the top 20% and 4 within top 34%).

Health Deprivation (8 SOAs within the top 20% and 2 within top 36%).

Crime (5 SOAs within the top 20%, 4 of which are in the top 10%).

Environment Deprivation (6 SOAs within the top 25%, 3 of which are in the top 15%).

Two domains that are directly relevant to Moston Brook as an open green space are the LivingEnvironment Deprivation domain that includes the outdoor living environment and the Health Deprivationdomain. Moston Brook has the potential to make a difference in the above indices.



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Table 3.2 Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007 for the areas lower SOAs that cover the area of Moston Brook and Most

Super Output Area

Oldham Manchester

IMD Category IMD

'Score'

E01005347 E01005368 E01005371 E01005369 E01005370 E01005254 E010052

Rank 12382 8623 6397 5035 3016 10631 9840Total Deprivation

% 38.1 26.5 19.7 15.5 9.3 32.7 30.3

Rank 17452 13139 8980 7302 4869 18473 18265Income Deprivation

% 53.7 40.4 27.6 22.4 14.9 56.8 56.2

Rank 11100 7599 8706 5637 1729 9313 9657Employment Deprivation

% 34.1 23.4 26.8 17.3 5.3 28.6 29.7

Rank 11791 6365 3900 3442 1504 5888 5023Health Deprivation

% 36.3 19.6 12 10.6 4.6 18.1 15.4

Rank 7226 6039 5560 3395 3965 10921 7501Education Deprivation% 22.2 18.6 17.1 10.4 12.2 33.6 23.1

Rank 21004 25448 25993 26459 23662 11931 10632Barriers to Housing/Services

% 64.6 78.3 80 81.4 72.8 36.7 32.7

Rank 8890 8729 2373 3982 3047 11554 11474Crime

% 27.3 26.8 7.3 12.2 9.4 35.5 35.3

Rank 10683 4697 4017 3648 11261 7319 8076Living Environment Deprivation

% 32.8 14.4 12.3 11.2 34.6 22.5 24.8



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3.1.4 Cultural

Moston Brook has been altered since the times of the Industrial Revolution and traces of its pastindustrial uses are still present. The Mill Lane Bridge and the weir, which was probably linked to the

Moston Mill race, and the pond north of the brook on the path that goes to Williams Road, are still visibleas witnesses of a recent industrial past. The traces of the dye, print and brick works that were carried outin the past, as the old maps show(appendix G), are not visible anymore and it is likely that they havebeen altered by the waste disposal activities that were carried out once the works stopped their activities.The Rochdale Canal is part of the industrial heritage of the area and the Wrigley Head Bridge gives astrong character to it with the stone flags and walls.

Failsworth

A section of the canal in Failsworth town centre was infilled in the past to build a supermarket. Thesupermarket has been now demolished and the section of the canal has been restored to create anattractive open water feature.

The now disused and neglected Ferranti football pitch, and Lower Memorial Park on Park Avenue showthat the area around the brook has recreational uses. The Lancaster Sports Club is an important sportsfacility widely used.

The physically and culturally closest community areas to Moston Brook are Failsworth and New Moston.Failsworth is a town that maintains a strong community spirit and it hosts a wide range of communitygroups. The Failsworth Volunteer Centre (1 Ashton Road West M35 0EQ) is a volunteering resource thatis used by active community groups as well as being a base for advice services run by volunteers suchas the Citizens Advice Bureau. It also offers environmental training opportunities. For community groupsin the area see appendix F

The Failsworth Carnival is an important cultural event in the town that takes place in July. The carnivalalso hosts local competitions such as the garden competition Failsworth in Bloom.

Failsworths most recent history is linked to the Industrial Revolution and the mills that date back to thatperiod are still in use. These mills such as the Regent Cotton Mill and Ivy Mill act as landmarks and givea strong character to the area. Hats also give a name to Failsworth due to the firm Failsworth Hats thatused to manufacture them. The electrical engineering company Ferranti had its headquarters onWickentree Lane, in Failsworth and the main factory was very near of Moston Brook.Today Failsworthsmain areas of economic activity are in electrical goods manufacture through Pifco Ltd and plasticproducers and distributors Hubron Ltd.

Several warehouses and shopping units border Moston Brook in its north-eastern edge that could benefitfrom the regeneration of Moston Brook. These businesses such as Mirror Colour Printing and theNorthern Counties Housing Association are looking at the junction 22 of the M60 motorway. The areaaround this junction is going to benefit from the Hollinwood business district masterplan that is going torevitalise it.

Failsworth Pole stands on the same site where maypoles probably stood in the past. It was erected in1793 although it has been replaced several times. The area around the Pole has been recentlyrefurbished and it includes a statue of the local poet and writer Ben Brierley.

The Failsworth local library and St Johns Church are around the Pole in the centre of the historical town.The tower of the church, together with the Pole, act as landmarks that give a sense of place to the area.

Mather Street Primary School and a Pupil Referral Unit are located directly on the edge of the areaknown as Hardman Fold, in Moston Brook. The schools currently border the area with palisade fencingand they could be potentially integrated within a new, enhanced green space.



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Other schools in Failsworth include St Johns CE Primary and Higher Failsworth Primary however theseschools are geographically located south of Oldham Road, which is a strong physical barrier. For acomplete list of schools in the area see appendix F

Failsworth has several green open spaces. The Higher Memorial Park and Daisy Nook Country Park arethe largest ones in size. These two green areas are however south to Oldham Road, while the areasnorth to Oldham Road have very small green spaces with Moston Brook the closest large green openspace. These spaces are not connected and their quality is low. Lower Memorial Park and BroadwayAllotments are included in the project area.

Other open spaces in Failsworth are The Pole and the War Memorial, both recently refurbished.

New Moston

The community facilities in New Moston closest to Moston Brook are located along Hollinwood Avenueand Broadway. There is a Morrisons supermarket on Hollinwood Avenue, on the northeastern edge ofthe project area. Many residents use the Rochdale Canal towpath to access the supermarket. Most of theservices for Moston are located along Moston Lane, which falls west to important physical barriers fromNew Moston such as the Manchester Leeds railway and Lightbowne Road. Spaces such as the SimpsonMemorial Hall offers vital community cultural activities.

Other community facilities in New Moston are the Broadway Leisure Centre and Moston Library onNuthurst Road.

Broadhurst Primary School borders the project area on its south-western edge and as in the case ofMather Street Primary School this offers opportunities for the involvement of the school in Moston Brook.

Broadhurst Park is a large park in Moston with bowls, football pitches, play centre, tennis and cyclespeedway. However this park is west of the Manchester Rochdale railway, which is an important

physical barrier. The area of Moston delimited by Hollinwood Avenue and the railway has only two smallpublic green spaces: Nuthurst park with a playground and a kickabout area and Parkfield Roadplayground.

The residential areas in both Failsworth and New Moston include a variety of period styles. The dwellingsthat are bordering Moston Brook are generally Victorian terraced houses. These are arranged in longparallel streets and loose gridiron formats. Streets are domestic in scale and they create a strong senseof enclosure. Although there are areas that have been constructed in different periods, the fact that eachof the streets were constructed at the same time provides a sense of completeness to them. Many of thehouses were constructed with red brick and the most common roof material is slate. All of it gives aconsistent red and dark colour to buildings and unites townscape. The houses in The Fairway are a resultof a development carried out during the 1970s and there are many freestanding cottages.

The residential streets back onto Moston Brook and they currently lack any relationship with the greenspace except the housing row on Park Avenue that looks at Lower Memorial Park and by extension atBroadway Common. This has in some situations led to fly tipping from some of the back gardens of thehouses to Moston Brook.

The residential streets north of the railway in Failsworth lack of any kind of physical and visual connectionwith Moston Brook, only Hale Lane goes across Moston Brook connecting Failsworth with New Moston.South of the railway in Failsworth many of the residential streets are dead ends and some of the bridgesthat used to link both residential streets across the railway have been closed to access.



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Urban White Paper: Towns and Cities: The Future

This paper considers the regeneration of urban areas and emphasises that design and environmentalquality are of importance. Reusing Brownfield sites is highlighted as a major priority.

Planning pol icies

Planning Policy Guidance 17 on Open Space, Sport and Recreation (PPG17)

3.3.2 Regional Strategies

Pennine Edge Forest Business Action Plan 2004-2013

Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale is a key partner in the Pennine Edge Forest (PEF) Initiative. Thebusiness plan recognises that river corridors are at the heart of the Pennine Edge Forest and providehuge opportunities for regeneration of strategic green space. In a separate study undertaken for PEF byTEP looking into River Valley opportunities Moston Brook was identified as a key opportunity for

development. The recommendations were that woodland planting would improve the former tipping landand views should be created adjacent to the railway.

Irk Valley Local PlanThe Irk Valley Trust is a partnership between the community, Manchester City Council and GroundworkManchester, Salford & Trafford. Manchester City Council officially approved the Irk Valley Local Plan inJanuary 2007. The plan outlines the improvements needed to revitalise North Manchesters greenspaces and to create good links between them. The green corridor runs along the river Irk and itstributaries Moston Brook and Boggart Hole Brook.

Greater Manchester Derelict Land Strategy

This strategy outlines the scale of dereliction in Greater Manchester and highlights the themedreclamation priorities. It recognises that poor quality land impacts upon the local communities throughsocial exclusion and health.

Greater Manchester Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP)

The Greater Manchester BAP contains 19 action plans covering a range of habitats and speciesoccurring in Greater Manchester, which require action to conserve them for the future. These are: Acidgrassland; Bats; Black Redstart; Brown hare; Bittern; Floating water plantain; Canals; Marsh/marshygrassland; Great crested newt; Mossland; Lowland broadleaved woodland; Neutral grassland; Nightjar;Song thrush; Ponds and lodges; upland Oak wood; Twite; Water vole; and Urban-managed greenspace.

Manchester Waterways Strategy

The strategy identifies Moston Brook as the second major waterway in the north of Manchester and as akey area of strategic open space. The strategy also identifies Rochdale Canal as an opportunity to beconnected into a wider tourism resource.

Red Rose Forest 2003-2008 Business Plan

Red Rose Forest Partnership has a 40-year vision that sets targets, which theyve been working to since1995. The latest business plan prioritises the creating of new green spaces on green or brownfield landand improved woodland management. There is also a focus on community participation in urban renewaland creating good practice in relation to community safety and design.



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Green Infrastructure North West

This partnership has just produced the Northwest Green Infrastructure guide. The principle behind GreenInfrastructure is that it considers a wide range of functions and benefits of a green space in conjunction

with land development and built infrastructure planning. From this Green Infrastructure has developedinto a city region approach, which aims to tackle the previously unchecked industrial and socialdevelopment ensuring green infrastructure is considered in the future.This is a principle which may become key to the future of Moston Brook, given that the site is in a keystrategic corridor and has HMR areas surrounding it.

Englands Northwest: A Strategy towards 2020 (NWDA)

This strategy recognises that the North West has great environmental wealth in the area but that it isoften not well maintained or in needs of major investment. It supports the work of the Community Forestsin tackling areas in need of work.

Regional Economic StrategyThe Regional Economic Strategy (Englands North West, A Strategy Towards 2020) produced by theNorth West Development Agency (NWDA) aims to achieve sustainable development and it identifies as akey component of this that we need to live within environmental limits. This includes improving ourenvironment for future generations. It also notes that investment in quality green spaces is required andessential to attract a high quality of life.

Reclaim the North West!

The final report of the Northwest Land Reclamation Review Steering Group notes that one of thepriorities for regeneration initiatives is strategic waterside regeneration, which complements the MerseyBasin Campaign. It recognises that much Derelict land in the Northwest is also contaminated land andthat bringing it back into use requires remediation.

Northwest Regional Forestry Framework

This framework has 6 action areas, of which 3 are relevant to the future of the site, improving the regionalimage with woodlands as a tool in the regeneration and reclamation of derelict land, biodiversity andlandscape with managing and protecting key woodlands, and also in health, well-being and quality of lifewhich developing and promotes accessibility of woodlands.

Rochdale Canal Corridor regeneration strategy

Whilst addressing issues around Tourism, economic regeneration and the built environment this strategyalso addressed the ecology of the canalside. The Wrigley Head area of Moston Brook was identified as apotential low-key structured open space to provide communities access to the canal network.

PPS9: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation

This policy statement sets out policies on protection of biodiversity and geological conservation throughthe planning system. Due to the many different biodiversity issues within the study area, this paper issignificant to the future development of Moston Brook.PPS9 states that decisions about the development and use of land integrate biodiversity and geologicaldiversity along with other considerations, and that they enhance biodiversity in green spaces and amongdevelopments so that they are used by wildlife and valued by people.

Regional Spatial Strategy NWRA

The Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West provides a framework for the physical development of

the region for the next 15-20 years. It forms part of the statutory development plans for every Local



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Authority through the Local Development Frameworks. All planning applications in the future will bedetermined by their conformity to the RSS and LDFs.

Regional Planning

Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG 13)

3.3.3 Oldham Metropol itan Borough Council Strategies

Oldham Community Strategy 2005-2020

This document sets out the Councils priority targets and ties in with the Local Area Agreement. Thedocument includes a range of actions that the councils seek to address over the coming years. Whilstthere are added benefits to be gained through the future of the site, such as improvements to the healthand economic well being of the local community, these are the ones where Moston Brooks developmentcan have a measurable impact:

Enabling local people to be effectively involved in local decision making through the creation ofthe Moston Brook Steering Group the local residents and community groups have the opportunityto shape the future of the site and get involved in its the development.

Developing high-quality living environments the future development of the Corridor will achievea large environmental improvement, which meets the needs and aspirations of residents and thebusiness community.

Raising awareness and empowering communities will be achieved through providingopportunities for groups and individuals to improve their local environment.

Oldham Local Area Agreement

The Oldham LAA has been operative since 2006 and has recently been reviewed. The indicators, whichMoston Brook will have a measurable impact upon, are:

Percentage of residents reporting an increase in satisfaction with their neighbourhoods. Number of people who feel that they can influence decisions affecting their local area.

Number of people engaging in defined volunteering activity.

Oldham Community Engagement Strategy

The community consultation which has taken place and discussed later in this document has achievedthe outcomes of the Community Engagement Strategy and the proposed actions for future consultationand engagement with the local community will be driven by this strategys outcomes. By seekingstakeholders involvement in the project development we have worked to ensure that all sections of thecommunity surrounding the Corridor have had an equal opportunity to be engaged in the feasibility study.Nationally recognised consultation methods devised by CABE have been used and developed further inorder to ensure quality methods and standards.

A Woodland Strategy for Oldham

This document sets out Oldhams aims for improving the level of tree cover in the borough and promotingthe better management of woodland.The delivery plan for the future of Moston Brook will assist in meeting the aims of the woodland strategyby encouraging community involvement and appreciation of the value of woodlands. The geographicallocation of Moston Brook and its proximity to the Irk Valley greenspace network and Moston Vale helps toprovide a network of woodlands for recreational opportunities for the local community and enhance theprovision of habitats for wildlife.The delivery plan will make suggestions around the provision ofmaintenance of the site and this will helpto protect and promote the better management of the woodland.



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Oldhams Greenspace Strategy

This strategy recognises the value of accessible, quality greenspace to the residents of Oldham. Itacknowledges the need for these spaces to be maintained and for residents to feel safe to use them. The

production of this feasibility study for Moston Brook helps to achieve the strategies aims by ensuringthere is community involvement and consultation in the process, that there is a realistic and achievableframework for action and that the is a look to a long term approach for the site.

OMBC Contaminated Land Strategy 2001

This strategy promotes the remediation of former landfill sites, and recognised the need of the Council tosurvey and record the levels of contamination on land in their ownership. It acknowledged theresponsibilities of the Council and the Environment Agency under a part IIA regime.Through the creation of the Contaminated Land Sub group for Moston Brook the feasibility study hassucceeded in drawing together key players in the field of Contaminated Land, from both the Councils,Greater Manchester Waste Authority and the Environment Agency.

Failsworth and Hollinwood Area Plan 2004

The Area Plan lists the improving the maintenance of public spaces, as an action which will help toregenerate the Failsworth area, since a poorly maintained physical environment contributes to givingareas a poor reputation and makes them feel less safe. It also recognises that the Failsworth area isdeprived of good quality open spaces for the local community and the future improvements to MostonBrook will provide a positive greenspace for people to access for recreation.

Oldham and Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Fund

Oldham in partnership with Rochdale is one of the HMRF Pathfinder projects receiving significant fundingto address issues in the housing market.

Moston Brook is both within and adjacent to the Oldham and Rochdale (Partners in Action) HousingMarket Renewal Pathfinder. The land from Tweedale Way, at the eastern end of the site, to the RochdaleCanal (part of the Wrigley Head section) is all HMR. The southern edge of the site boundary, from theRochdale Canal to Broadway, is the HMR boundary indicating that Moston Brook is adjacent to thePathfinder area. A large proportion of the upper end of Moston Brook site is within 300m of the HMRboundary. The Moston Fairway site is only slightly beyond the 300m HMR boundary.

Oldham Biodiversity Action Plan

In comparison to its counterparts throughout Greater Manchester, Oldham is comparatively unwoodedwith the semi natural woodland confined to linear Cloughs and patches near the urban fringe and alongthe river valleys. The Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) for Oldham was written in 1999/2000 througha partnership of organisations and individuals. The local priority biodiversity action plans listed withOldhams LBAP include ponds, badgers, lapwings and hedgerows.

Failswor th Town Centre

Failsworth Town Centre is geographically very close to Moston Brook and the Rochdale Canal providesthe link. The regeneration of Failsworth Town Centre was kick-started with the refurbishment of RochdaleCanal that included its restoration and was followed by the construction of a new Health Centre, newapartment blocks and a supermarket. Due to the proximity and links of Moston Brook with FailsworthTown Centre, the improvements will have a direct effect in the area.



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Hollinwood Bus iness District Masterplan

The Hollinwood Business District Masterplan shows how the area around junction of the A62 ManchesterRoad and the M60 Motorway can be redeveloped to improve the local environment and provide high

quality jobs to the area.

Although Moston Brook does not border with the area covered by the masterplan, its proximity has thepotential to have an important beneficial effect on the businesses that will be installed in the area.

3.3.4 Manchester City Council Strategies

Manchester Tree and Woodland Strategy

The strategy identifies the green corridors as one of the woodland types found across Manchester andtheir importance as public amenity and link between existing woodland to help wildlife move through andwithin the city.

Cultural Strategy 2002-2012

The environment is one of the objectives of the cultural strategy with a commitment to innovate the publicrealm and to create sense of place and safe and well used public parks. One of the key tasks aims to linkphysical developments in waterways with marketing and tourism as well as implementing a programmeof renewal in public parks. The outcomes of this objective that are relevant to Moston Brook are:

Improvement of the environment in city fringe locations integrating historic features,contemporary design and cultural activities.

Creation of safe and accessible parks.

Manchester Contaminated Land Strategy 2005

This document is a review of the initial strategy completed in 2001. It, like Oldhams strategy, ispositioned within the legal framework for remediating contaminated land. It has lead to detailed desktopsurveys being undertaken of all contaminated land in Manchester and this Feasibility study fits within thisprocess through the surveying of the Corridor.

Manchester Communi ty Engagement Strategy to 2008

The Community Engagement strategy was reviewed in 2005 and has resulted in a commitment for bettergovernance, better voluntary and community sector service deliver, better social infrastructure and bettersocial capital and cohesion. The community consultation completed as part of this feasibility will ensurethat the community continues to play an important part in the development of the corridor for the longterm.

North Manchester Strategic Regeneration Framework 2004

This strategic framework for the North Manchester Area lists Moston Brook as a strategically positionedgreenspace requiring restoration for the benefit of North Manchester. It recommends that within NorthManchester a loop should connect the Irk Valley with Queens Park, Moston Brook, Broadhurst Cloughand Park, Shackliffe Green, Boggart Hole Clough, Baileys Wood and French Barn Lane.

It also recognises that there is key development opportunities within the Moston Brook area for newhousing.

Parks for A ll Seasons A Parks strategy for Manchester

This strategy encompasses all of Manchesters Green spaces and seeks to maintain them for the local

community and wildlife. Within this urban countryside and river valleys are recognised for their value as



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routes, which knit communities together. At the centre of this strategy is the importance of partnershipworking for the benefit of these open spaces.

Manchester Sustainable Communities Strategy 2006-2015

Within this strategys vision is the desire for Manchester to be an attractive City with successfulneighbourhoods which attract and retain successful people. The Feasibility of improving the corridor ofMoston Brook ties in with this vision by improving a key green space within the North Manchester area.

Manchester Local Area Agreement

The Manchester LAA has be operative since 2006 and the indicators which Moston Brook will have ameasurable impact upon are:

Percentage of people surveyed who feel they can influence decisions in their area.

Proportion of residents who undertake formal volunteering in groups, clubs or organisations foran average of 2 hours a week.

Manchester/ Salford Housing Market Renewal

Manchester in partnership with Salford is one of the HMRF Pathfinder projects receiving significantfunding to address issues in the housing market. Harpurhey and Moston are in the HMRF area and therewill be benefits of this on the Moston Brook Corridor.

Moston Brook also crosses into New East Manchester at its western edge, and is therefore also quiteclose to the HMR activity within the New East Manchester area.

3.3.5 Development Plan Policy

Both in Oldham and Manchester policies contained within the irrespective Unitary Development Plans willstill apply in the short to medium term (approximately three years) until they are superseded by therelevant part of the new Local Development Frameworks. The Unitary Development Plans will bereplaced with a folder of land use planning policy document, which together will form a LocalDevelopment Framework.

3.3.5.1 Oldham Unitary Development Plan

Oldham UDP was adopted on 14 July 2006. The following policies apply to Moston Brook.

Policies D1.1, D1.3, D1.4, D1.5, D1.6, D1.7 set the design criteria that all new development need tomeet.

Policy R1

The council will protect from inappropriate development the following types of open space: Green corridors (Rochdale Canal)

Urban green spaces

Policy R2.2New open spaces or improvements will only be permitted if the following points have been integrated:

Accessibility to public transport.

Provision of safe recreational routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

High standard of accessibility, visual amenity, safety and security, habitat value, durability andease of maintenance.

Policy OE1.10 Other Protected Open LandPlanning permission on these sites will only be permitted if:

Development will not have a detrimental impact upon the local distinctiveness.



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It does not significantly affect the openness, character or visual amenity of the Other ProtectedOpen Land.

Policy OE2.1 Landscape

The Council will require applicants to demonstrate how any proposed development in or adjacent to openland areas conserves and/or enhances the quality and character of the landscape.

Policy OE2.2 Green Corridors and LinksIn green corridors and links, development will only be permitted where it would not have the effect ofsevering the open land corridor into sections. The Council will seek wherever possible to extend,consolidate and join up the network of green corridors and links.

Policy OE2.3Development will not be permitted where it would harm the nature conservation objectives or integrity ofany of the following sites: Special Areas of Conservation, SSSI, Sites of Biological Importance of Districtor more than local significance (Grades B and C), or Local Nature Reserves or other non-designatedsites containing landscape features likely to be of substantive nature conservation value such aswatercourses and their banks, ponds, dry stone walls, hedgerows, trees, woodland and moorland.

Rochdale Canal goes partially through the site and its a European Designated site and it is a SBI, SSSIand SAC.

Policy NR2.3 Protection of Open WatercoursesWherever reasonable and practicable the Council will require developers to remove existing culverts andartificial channels and restore the watercourse to a more natural state.

Policy NR1.6 Contaminated LandThe Council will permit proposals for development on or near to contaminated sites only if it can bedemonstrated that measures will be taken to remediate the land to a standard that is suitable for theproposed use. Such measures will be specified in conditions attached to any planning permission andmust be detailed in the planning application.

Policy NR2.2 Flood zoneThe Council will only permit development within designated flood zones where an appropriate flood riskassessment has been carried out.

3.3.5.2 Urban Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document OMBC

This SPD sets the design principles that need to guide any new development in the public realm andimprovements to green spaces. Developers will be expected to demonstrate that they have carried outan assessment of the sites existing landscape and ecological value to an appropriate level of detail and

the landscape and open space strategy for the site aims to enhance the biodiversity of the site.

Improvements to green spaces should:

Form part of a wider network of open space with safe, attractive routes between them toencourage sustainable methods of transport.

Form part of a hierarchy of different spaces, of diverse type and scale in order to cater for arange of users and uses make the most of existing landscape features and assets.

Be safe by design, being located along secure, overlooked routes with passive surveillanceencouraged wherever possible.

Have well defined gateways, entrances and thresholds.

Integrate public art.

Where appropriate provide facilities such as cafes and toilets that encourage people to spendlonger in the space.

Improve the biodiversity and ecological value of green spaces.



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Take into consideration long-term funding and be easy to maintain.

3.3.5.3 Contaminated Land Supplementary Planning Document OMBC

The Planning Policy Statement PPS 23 Planning and Pollution Control states that where development isproposed, the developer is responsible for ensuring that development is safe and suitable for use for thepurpose for which it is intended. The developer is thus responsible for determining whether land issuitable for a particular development or can be made so by remedial action. In particular, the developershould carry out an adequate investigation/risk assessment to determine:

Whether the land in question is already affected by contamination.

Whether the development proposed will create new linkages, e.g. new pathways by whichexisting contaminants might reach existing or proposed receptors and whether it will introducenew receptors.

What action is needed to break those existing linkages and avoid creating new ones, deal withany unacceptable risks and enable safe development and future occupancy of the site andneighbouring land

A Preliminary Risk Assessmentshould be submitted with the planning application. From the findings ofthe initial assessment the Council may be satisfied with the findings or may impose conditions to ensureappropriate works are carried out.

Paragraph 2.42 of the Planning Policy Statement 23 Annex 2 states that a phased or tiered approach isrecommended in the Defra/Environment Agencys Model Procedures for the Management of LandContamination (CLR11).

Once a planning application has been approved, a planning condition may have been made in relation tocontamination. The conditions include site investigation, risk assessment, remediation strategy,unforeseen contamination, imported materials, gas monitoring and verification reporting.

The SPD recommends the following procedure:

Process 1, Stage 1: Preliminary Risk AssessmentThe focus of this is to develop an outline conceptual model and establish whether or not there are anypotentially unacceptable risks arising from contamination at or around the site to the proposeddevelopment. The main activity at this stage is the collection of information required to identify allpossible pollutant linkages at the site and prepare the outline conceptual model.

Process 1, Stage 1&2: Generic & Detailed Quantitative Risk AssessmentThese stages should be undertaken when the preliminary risk assessment identifies potentiallyunacceptable risks at the site.

Process 2 Options Appraisal

The aim of the Options Appraisal process is to establish which remediation option, or combination ofoptions, provides the best approach to remediate all pollutant linkages that present an unacceptable riskat the site.

Process 2, Stage 1: Identification of Feasible Remediation OptionsProcess 2, Stage 2: Evaluation of OptionsProcess 2, Stage 3: Developing the Remediation StrategyProcess 3, Stage 1: Preparation of the Implementation PlanProcess 3, Stage 2: Design, Implementation and Verification

Once the site remediation is complete, a site verification report will be required to demonstrate that theagreed site remediation criteria have been achieved.



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This report forms the most important documentary evidence that the site has been remediated to asuitable for use standard, and should be conducted by a suitably qualified professional.

3.3.5.4 Manchester City Council Unitary Development PlanManchester UDP was adopted on 21 July 1995. The following policies apply to Moston Brook.

The Moston Brook area is designated as a River Valley area within the MCC UDP.

Policy E1.3The Council will promote measures to decrease the level of pollution in the City's watercourses includingrivers and canals, and groundwater sources.

Policy E2.3The Council will protect important wildlife habitats. It will seek to create nature reserves as part ofdevelopment schemes, especially where water features are present or can be created.

Policy E2.4The Council will ensure that the effects upon wildlife are taken fully into account when consideringdevelopment proposals. The Council will seek to protect existing features of ecological value, such asponds and hedges, by requiring them to be incorporated into the development wherever this is possible.The Council will also encourage developers to create new features, which will sustain wildlife.

Policy E2.6The Council will prevent wherever possible the loss of existing trees and will encourage extensivebroadleaved tree planting schemes especially as a means to enhance informal recreational areas.

Policy E3.4The Council will create a network of safe and attractive major linear recreational open spaces by linking

and making better use of river valleys. Measures will be taken to: achieve widespread environmental improvements;

protect the natural environment;

improve water quality;

improve access for pedestrians, disabled people, cyclists and, where appropriate, horse riders;

protect and enhance wildlife corridors.

The Council will ensure that, in developing these recreational routes, adequate measures are taken tosafeguard the privacy of nearby residential properties.

Policy E3.5The Council will promote measures which will lead to a safer environment. These measures will include:

ensuring that the layout of new development is designed with safety in mind and does not lead

to the creation of isolated areas; designing landscaping schemes so as to minimise the risk of attack;

that community facilities are located where they are easy and safe to get to;

providing safe places for children to play.

Policy E3.7The Council will promote environmental improvements, which are aimed at improving conditions fordisabled people and people whose mobility and vision is impaired.

Policy BM4The Council will maintain and enhance the valley of Moston Brook as a recreational open space. In orderto benefit residential communities abutting the Brook, and to provide an attractive link to other openspaces along the Brook, within and outside the City.Process 3, Stage 3: Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance



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3.3.5.5 Manchester Local Development Framework

The key policies and actions identified as being relevant to open space improvements include: Improve North Manchesters image through improving the appeal of open spaces as part of the

holistic approach to regeneration. Specific actions are:o Broaden the appeal of public open spaces by creating trails, improved open spaces and

set of events that invite greater use.o Linked trails should be built along the River Irk and its tributaries; the trails will help to

restore the river as a central feature within North Manchester connecting all areas andincrease level of amenity for local residents.

o Introduce events into the Irk Valley that celebrate its industrial heritage.o Create a network of linked recreational trails.o Continued investment into major parks and Boggart Hole Clough.o Continued investment and good management of local parks.o Enhance and restore areas of particular biological and historical significance and

interest.

Eradicate problems of neglected and derelict land by capitalising on opportunities to form newparks and redevelop under utilised open spaces. Specific actions are:o Raise the profile of key under-utilised sites.o Identify sites for early development.

Promote partnerships to enable strategic investment and maintenance of opens spaces; withlimited funds available to manage and improve parks and open spaces, every effort should bemade to form partnerships to increase funds, labour, resources and promote stewardship.Specific actions are:o Build on momentum and support voluntary agencies.o Encourage residents involvement.

o Engage the private sector.

3.3.5.6 Guide to Development in Manchester Supplementary Planning Document

The Guide to Development in Manchester has been adopted on April 2007.The guide sets the guidelines for the design of new developments or improvements in Manchesterincluding the open spaces.

Developers will be expected to submit a statement on how their proposal will achieve the environmentalstandards set out in the Guide. This statement will be seen as an addition to the Design and AccessStatement referred to in Government Circular 1/2006 and described in paragraph 13.9 of the Guide.This statement will be required for all planning applications, both outline and full.

In their Design and Access Statements applicants are expected to demonstrate how crime preventionmeasures have been considered in the design of the proposal. (DCLG Circular 1/2006). One way ofensuring that these issues are fully dealt with is by using the Secured By Design Accreditation Schemeadministered by the Greater Manchester Police Architectural Liaison Unit (Guide to Development inManchester Supplementary Planning Document and Planning Guidance Adopted April 2007).

3.3.5.7 Planning and Administrative History

Appendix T shows the planning applications present on or adjacent to the site at present. Awareness ofdevelopments around the site need to be continually monitored in order to ascertain whether there areopportunities or threats posed to the project area.



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Table 1: Summary of Key Policy Framework

Economic Regeneration, Land & Property Landscape and Ecology

National Urban White Paper- Towns and Cities: TheFutureDETR 2000

PPG17

The Urban Environment The Royal CommissiEnvironmental Pollution 2007

A Strategy for Englands Trees, Woods and FoDEFRA

Water Framework Direct ive

Soil Thematic Strategy

Regional Englands North-west: A Strategy towards2020NWDA 2000

Regional Economic Strategy Regional Spatial Strategy NWRA

RPG 13

Pennine Edge Forest Business Action Plan 2013,PEF

Greater Manchester Derelict Land Strategy

Greater Manchester Biodiversity Action DEFRA 2001

Manchester Waterways Strategy

Red Rose Forest Development Plan

Green Infrastructure North West

Reclaim the North West! NW Land ReclamSteering Group 2001

Northwest Regional Forestry Framework

Rochdale Canal Corridor regeneration strateg

Irk Valley Local Plan

Local Oldham Local Area Agreement

Oldham Local Development Framework/Unitary Development Plan

North Manchester Strategic RegenerationFramework

Manchester Local Development Framework

Manchester Local Area Agreement

Failsworth Town Centre

Hollinwood Bus iness District Masterplan

Manchester Cultural Strategy 2002-2012

A Woodland Strategy for Oldham

Oldhams Greenspace Strategy

OMBC Contaminated Land Strategy2001

Failsworth and Hollinwood Area Plan2004

Oldham and Rochdale Housing Market ReFund

Oldham Biodiversity Action Plan

Manchester Tree and Woodland Strategy

Manchester Contaminated Land Strategy 2005 Parks for All Seasons A Parks strateg

Manchester

Manchester/ Salford Housing Market Renewal



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3.4 Locations and communications

Moston Brook has good links to the public transport network and access from a number ofneighbourhoods. These links and its central location between Manchester and Oldham along the Irk

Valley provides the site with future potential for it to become a high quality green corridor. Routes forcommuters between train stations and links through the site to link the neighbourhoods ensures that thesite can be used by a wide variety of people.

3.4.1 Trains

Two train lines surround Moston Brook. Whilst these at present create barriers to peoples awareness ofthe site they have potential to become gateways, bringing people into the site from further afield.

Moston station serves the Manchester Rochdale line, providing The Fairways with a link to the publictransport network. The station is north of the Fairways site and the lack of an access point at this end atpresent restricts access for pedestrians to use the Fairways for green commuting.

Dean Lane and Failsworth Stations serve the Manchester-Oldham line and are within a few minutes walkof the main site. Providing excellent access to the South and East of the sites these stations have thepotential to be the key gateways to Moston Brook in the future. Both stations are not ideal access pointsat present due to the quality of the stations and the lack of clear pedestrian access to the site. HollinwoodStation on the same line also has the potential to be another gateway for visitors by train, however thisstation is slightly further away from the site. Access onto the Rochdale Canal from this end is poor withHollinwood Avenue going over the canal, requiring pedestrians to walk through Morrisons car park to getonto the Canal or continue on to Cartmel Avenue. Neither of these provides good access at present.

3.4.2 Buses

Oldham Road provides the main route for the public to access the site from the bus network. This is partof GMPTEs Quality Bus Corridor and is serves by a variety of bus routes some on a very frequent

service, coming from Oldham, Manchester and the surrounding areas. The Quality Bus Corridor schemeaims to address the publics needs by providing more shelters and improve locations of stops, improvingbetter efficiency by providing bus priority measures and ensuring better crossing points for pedestrians toget to the stops safely.

Other local buses take in routes along St Marys Rd, Broadway, Northfield Avenue from Hale Lane andLightbowne Rd. These provide links to the local centres of Moston, New Moston, Failsworth, Harpurhey,Manchester and Oldham.

3.4.3 Cycle paths

Oldham has recently produced a masterplan map of the cycle network in the borough and the potentialnew routes for the future. This map identifies a number of routes around and through the Moston Brook

site as existing or potential routes for cycleways. Broadway already has cycle lane existing along thesides of the dual carriageway, and the towpath of the Rochdale Canal is already an existing NationalCycle Network Route 66 following the Rochdale Canal from Manchester, through Oldham andRochdale into Calderdale. The main path running from Williams Rd to Broadway has already beenidentified as a potential pedestrian/ cycle route on the Oldham Masterplan. Appendices J and K showother potential cycling routes as identified by the Cycling and Walking Officer in Oldham.

3.4.4 Metrolink

There are currently plans to convert the line from Manchester Victoria to Rochdale via Oldham to light railas part of Phase 3 of the Manchester Metrolink network. Work is expected to start on the conversion in2008.Phase 3a will involve taking over the main line railway to Oldham and Rochdale station, as well as

extensions to Droylsden and to Chorlton-cum-Hardy. In December 2004 the government announced that520 million would be authorised for Phase 3. A first stage of Phase 3 was given the go ahead by the



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Department for Transport in July 2006. Phase 3a will begin construction in 2008 and is hoped to becomeoperational in 2011/12.

Central Park stop, approximately midway between Monsall and Dean Lane, is part of The Gateway a

new entrance from Oldham Road to phase one of the business park. An impressive structure has beenbuilt; it is to the north of the railway line and on the west side of the road. Bus interchange facilities arealso included.

3.5 Local Demographics

The population of the five adjacent wards adds up to 54,120. The statistics are similar for all areas andthey show a high percentage of population of youngsters younger than 16.

Table 3.1 Basic population statistics

Ward Population Age0-15 %

Age15-64%

Age>65%

InflowRateper1000(Jul00-Jun01)

OutflowRateper1000(Jul00-Jun01)

EthnicbackgroundWhite %

EthnicbackgroundOther %

FailsworthWest

9,667 18.74 58.46 22.8 56 54 96.64 3.36

FailsworthEast

10,728 20.19 60.94 18.86 47 51 96.8 3.2

ChaddertonSouth

9,816 20.64 61.12 18.24 82 74 96.14 3.86

Moston 12,195 20.79 60.17 19.04 66 61 93.74 6.26NewtonHeath

11,714 21.31 61.52 17.17 61 65 95.19 4.81

Source: National Statistics



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3.6 Contaminated Land

The historical industrial land uses of Moston Brook have probably affected and deposited contaminants

that are likely to be still in the ground and they are a potential risk to human health.

Most of the area has been landfill at some point. Many of the landfills were created prior to the Control ofPollution Act 1974, which means that the content of the waste that was disposed is unknown. HardmanFold is a landfill that has been recently closed and gas boreholes have become a feature of the site.Landfill gas is the complex mixture of gases formed during the decomposition of biodegradable wastes ina landfill site. The gas boreholes are used to control the gas emissions of the site. If the gas emitted bythe waste disposed in the landfill exceeds certain concentrations there might be a risk of explosion. Anyfeature or facility that is created in this area needs to avoid the risk of accumulating gases inconcentrations that will pose risk.

Past surveys have revealed elevated concentrations of heavy metals. Groundwater seepages are visiblein parts of the area and they are likely to have pollutants.

Some areas have a large and dense presence of invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed andHimalayan balsam. Historical uses of the area under study have included dye works, brick works, printworks, railway sidings and landfills. These land uses have potentially contaminated the soil andgroundwater beneath.

3.6.1 Preliminary Risk Assessment

In December 2007 as part of this study Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale commissioned ParsonBrinkerhoff (PB) to do a preliminary Risk Assessment of Moston Brook. The objectives of the study wereto provide information on potential environmental risks associated with the site when assessed againstthe current and proposed future use of public open space and to identify any risks to human health,controlled waters and environmental systems posed by potential contamination present at the site.

They identified that 7 former landfill sites are present within the site boundaries of which only HardmanFold has any information available regarding it. The nature of the landfilled materials and the state of thelandfills themselves is not known.

PB also identified that the health of site users has the potential to be impacted upon shouldcontamination be found to be present within the waste and surface soils. They recognised that theproposals in the aspirational masterplan have the potential to be increase human exposure tocontamination by encouraging people to spend longer at the site through the provision of improvedfacilities.

They recommend that an intrusive site investigation is carried out in order to investigate the potentialpollutant linkages identified to determine what measures need to be taken to reduce the risks as far as

possible, should a risk be shown to be present.

3.7 Water Quality

Moston Brook rises in New Moston near the Wrigley Head Bridge over Rochdale Canal. The watercoursehad in the past small tributaries further upstream. Only one of these tributaries, Hole Bottom brook, iscurrently partially visible and it is likely that the other ones have been culverted in the past.

The Environment Agency uses a range of parameters to assess river water quality, which are part of aGeneral Quality Assessment scheme. They are chemical GQA and biological GQA. Chemical GQAindicates the presence of organic pollution and shows how rivers are affected by wastewater discharges.Biological GQA is based on the diversity of macro invertebrates found. Both chemical and biological

qualities grade from Grade A (very good) to Grade F (bad). Moston Brook is classed by the EnvironmentAgency as Grade F for both chemical and biological GQA.



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The investigations that have been carried out so far by the Environment Agency show 3 potential sourcesof pollution:

Contaminated land

Contaminated Surface Waters (CSW)

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO)

The Environment Agency commissioned WS Atkins an investigation to assess the impact ofcontaminated land on water quality of Moston brook. The report identified extensive areas of landfillingadjacent to the brook, leachates from which are likely to be contributing to the elevated levels ofammonia present in the brook.

The historical land uses in Moston Brook have the potential to contaminate the soil and groundwaterbeneath and subsequently the brook. It is likely that a wide range of contaminants have been stored andburied over time. These sites form a potential source of unknown contaminants.

The former landfill sites have been infilled with unknown waste types. This is likely to produce leachatethat contains contaminants. The leachate is the diverse mixture of dissolved and suspended organic andinorganic materials formed when the results of biodegradation mix with the migration of water. If leachateescapes to surface it could seriously damage aquatic life. In some areas of Moston Brook such asHardman Fold there is evidence of leachate polluting the brook.

Contaminated Surface Waters are another source of pollution for the brook. The Environment Agencyhas carried out investigations to identify cross connections in households and businesses that dischargesewage directly to the brook. Some households have been already identified and action taken howeverthere there may well be additional cross connection problems along the stretch of the brook, especiallywithin the culverted stretches.

The brook is subject to licensed discharge consents. The discharge consents are related to sewage

overflows or treated sewage discharges. Also a waste treatment facility, the industrial sites and a petrolfilling station neighbouring the brook have the potential to release contaminants to the brook.Investigations carried out by the Environment Agency suggest that it is not yet fully known the impact ofthe existing Combined Sewage Overflows further upstream of the brook and it is masked by the generalpoor water quality attributed to contaminated land. These CSOs need to be assessed under UnitedUtilities Asset Management Programme.

The strength of the water has eroded the waterway edges that were restored in the landscaping worksthat took place during the 1980s to stabilise the embankments and lack of maintenance has neglected

the site to the current overgrown state, which is worsened by the state of the water quality.

3.8 Land Use

Failsworth is well provided with parks however the open spaces fall south to Oldham Road, which is animportant communication road that bisects Failsworth north and south. North to Oldham Road theprovision of green spaces is done with occasional small green spaces that lack of interesting features oractivities.

New Moston also lacks of communal green spaces. The nearest open space is Broadhurst Park howeverit falls west to the railway line making access to it more difficult.

Moston Brook has a number of businesses on the north-eastern edge in Hollinwood. These businessborders directly to the site however due to the proximity of the M60 and the future Hollinwood BusinessDistrict, these businesses back Moston Brook and dont consider it as an asset. A more integratedapproach of the businesses and Moston Brook would benefit both. On the south-western edge, across

the railway, another important business and knowledge centre One Central Park is being developed.



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The M60 is very close to Moston Brook and two busy roads such as Broadway and Oldham Road arealso in the proximity. The current railway line that links Manchester and Oldham is going to be convertedinto Metrolink and Moston Brook will count with three Metrolink stations along its length.

The rest of the areas are residential with two schools that border directly to the site. The presence of theschool can encourage their participation and integration in the site, although the landfill nature of the sitesmight be an issue to be considered in this case.

Most of the houses and residential areas that surround the Moston Brook back the site. In many casesthere is dense vegetation between the backs of the houses and the paths. This creates unsettlingenvironments in those areas that lack of sightlines. All new buildings that might be built around shouldconsider the need to look at the site as a way to benefit and encourage a natural surveillance to the site.The existing topography can also be used to encourage natural surveillance from existing backs ofgardens and opening up views.

3.9 Land Ownership

Much of the problems the site suffers is due to it being in the ownership of a wide variety of organisationsand individuals as shown in Appendix L and M.Securing the future of the site as a whole will requireconsiderable negotiations and consultation within these landowners.

In addition, the land at Hardman Fold owned by Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA)is currently subject to a strategic review of all of the authorities assets. Therefore its role in the futureimplementation of the Moston Brook masterplan will depend on the outcome of this review, as well asfinal approval from GMWDA as the landowner.

3.10 Access Audi t

Moston Brook is a river corridor that is bisected by Broadway and Hale Lane. Broadway is a busy roadthat connects Chadderton with Manchester. Hale Lane is a secondary road that connects Failsworth andNew Moston. Both have important traffic levels and the enclosed nature of both roads with large anddense trees along the edges has an effect on the way the area is perceived as well as the speed of thevehicles that circulate. This stops pedestrian movement along the river corridor.

The movement within the site is also limited due to the complexity of the topography that delineates thecirculation along the brook. The low number of bridges across the brook is also a limitation to movement.

The entrances along the perimeter are characterised by lack of visibility due to overgrown vegetation and

lack of signage/feature announcing what is the site like. The state of neglect is even more dramatic alongthe southern edge due to the physical barrier that the railway poses. The entrances are intimidating andlack of visual links

Documents

Final Feasibility Study Small