Salford's controlling Labour councillors have been accused of 'hypocrisy' over their declaration of a biodiversity emergency in the city. The accusation came at a stormy city council meeting from the opposing Conservative group, who claim pending proposals for a 450-home development on Green Belt land between the A580 East Lancs Road and the M61 sliproad in Worsley contradict Labour's stance.
Property giant Peel has put forward the £54million plan for the new estate at Hazelhurst Farm, sparking an angry backlash from hundreds of local residents. However, at yesterday's meeting Coun Mike McCusker put forward a motion declaring a 'biodiversity emergency'.
It said that biodiversity is declining at an 'unprecedented rate' and that the pressures driving it are 'intensifying'. Coun McCusker said that none of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets - an ambitious set of global goals aimed at protecting the natural environment - would be met.
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The council agreed to 'monitor the progress of key species diversity in Salford' and take a 'mission-based approach' to reverse these declines as part of a five-year plan in line with the findings of Greater Manchester Nature Recovery Strategy pilot. The council's Climate Action Board - established in 2019 - will now 'consider systematically the biodiversity impact of each area of the authority's activities'.
"The city mayor [Paul Dennett] will write to the Prime Minister to inform them that Salford city council has declared a biodiversity emergency with a request for Government to provide the resources and powers necessary to deal with it," the resolution stated.
Coun McCusker said: "England is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world due to its long history of industrialisation and land-use changes over millennia. Large areas of habitat have been lost - 99.7 per cent of fens and 70pc of species which inhabit grasslands, 80pc of lowlands heathland and 70pc of ancient woodlands.
"The impact on species has been so severe that a quarter of mammals and almost a fifth of UK plants have been threatened with extinction. 2022, therefore, needs to be about shifting into an emergency gear to address the triple planetary challenge of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste."
He said that the current Government was seeking to reverse existing protections, saying the recent 'omnishambles' of mini-budget was branded an attack on nature by conservation groups with ministers now stressing their support for fracking and oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. "It is important in Salford that we accelerate action and encourage all partners in this great city of ours to work with us," he added.
However, the Conservatives put forward an amendment to the motion, which said: "That this Council recognises the importance of biodiversity in all green sites across Salford and that the council for an end to building on greenbelt land in Salford as a result of the biodiversity crisis".
Leader of the Conservative group, Coun Robin Garrido, said that biodiversity 'stretches all the way across Green Belt land' in Salford.
"We support many of the aspects of the motion but cannot support those aspects of it that support building on Green Belt land," he said. "We can't just pick and chose which areas to protect.
"If we are true to ourselves and everyone else in this council chamber is true to themselves, then they must support biodiversity on Green Belt land. We're very lucky in this city that we have a number of areas where there are different species of trees and we have to make sure they are protected."
Coun Garrido added: "You cannot on the one hand say you support biodiversity and then support building on Green Belt land. That's hypocritical."
His colleague, Coun Adam Kealey, said: "What about Hazelhurst Farm? What about Chat Moss, what about Leigh Road, the areas you want to build on?
"I just find it slightly hypocritical that several years before I was elected Salford city council declared a climate emergency and several years later we're being asked to declare another one - a biodiversity crisis. There are just huge swathes of inconsistency in the council's way of dealing with this." However, their amendment was defeated.
City mayor Paul Dennett said that the Green Belt issue was being dealt with by the Places for Everyone plan [the long-term plan for nine of Greater Manchester's boroughs for new jobs, homes and sustainable growth] which is currently being under examination by the Government.
He said that between the Local Plan [for Salford] and Places for Everyone, if implemented, there will be a 'net increase of 10 per cent in Green Belt in this city'. "Our commitment to green infrastructure and biodiversity is well made," he said. "Anyone who's familiar with the investment decisions this council has taken over the years will be familiar with how important this agenda is to this authority."
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