BURY’S council leader has admitted backing highly controversial plans for thousands of new homes in the borough is ‘a big political risk’.

Cllr Eamonn O’Brien also said he thought ‘ a silent majority’ of residents would back  the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) ahead of a special council meeting on November 25 when councillors will decide whether to adopt it.

The Greater Manchester wide plans propose to build more than 6,000 homes over the next 17 years in Bury, many of which are earmarked for green areas, meaning a net reduction of the green belt in Bury by 520 hectares.

Council bosses say that is nine per cent of the total green belt land in Bury and 25 per cent less green belt lost compared to the 2019 draft.

The Labour-run authority faces opposition to the proposals from all other parties on the council and a pressure group, The Friends of Bury Folk, who have more than 9,000 members.

In order to ratify the GMSF, the Labour group will need solid backing from its members of the council.

The largest housing development is set for Elton Reservoir, with 3,500 new homes.

Other huge schemes in green areas include land close to Simister and Bowlee where there is provision for 1.350 properties and Walshaw with 1,250 homes.

The plan includes the Northern Gateway employment site which the council say will create up to 20,000 new jobs.

This site sits in both Bury and Rochdale north of the M62 and east of the M66.

Cllr O’Brien said he was ‘confident’ that the proposals would pass at this month’s meeting.

He said: “I’m confident we will have a majority on the night because while there is naturally political risk and concern the responsibility of being in power is you have to think not just what’s before you but what follows a rejection.

“People will see a rejection will be worse for the borough.

“These decisions are never 100 per cent perfect but this is the best plan for the borough.

Cllr O’Brien was asked if if he thought that approving the GMSF would be a ‘big electoral risk’.

He said: “I think it is but if you take a view that you can never do anything politically controversial or risky you ultimately fail an important test of  leadership.

“We are fully aware of the political risks on this but we also feel like the actual the details and positive case for this hasn’t had its day yet.

“We’ve not been able to point at the details and say this is what’s changed, this is why.

“It’s been an uneven fight up to this point and I’m quite confident there’s a far bigger silent majority on this issue that says I support more housing, I support more jobs and opportunities and I understand that in  life that you got to make compromises on things to find a balance.

“If you’re guaranteeing the infrastructure’s in place and a guaranteeing that this is better than an alternative, which we can clearly demonstrate, then I think most people will accept this is the right thing to do.”

Stephen Cluer, is from the group, The Friends of Bury Folk, and said: “All the council leader has done with this draft is muck about with the numbers to make it appear they’ve done something but the reality is they haven’t.

“The amount of houses they’re going to build until 2037 is exactly the same.

“When you get into the nitty gritty of what’s occurring they’ve designed the land allocation so that they sell their own land to bring in money.

“It’s up every resident in Bury to look at what the plans actually are and give their views.”

The leaders of the two largest opposition groups on Bury Council have said they will vote against the GMSF.

The plans are also strongly opposed by the both the borough’s Conservative MPs, James Daly and Christian Wakeford.

Conservative leader on Bury Council, Cllr Nick Jones said, said: “Labour’s GMSF plan is bad for Bury, and we will vote against it to protect our green spaces.

“We need cross-party consensus to stop the GMSF in Bury and save our green belt for generations to come.”

Bury’s Liberal Democrat group leader, Cllr Michael Powell said:“This is simply the wrong plan.

“Our precious green belt land must be protected with development restricted to existing sites and brownfield land.”

Bury’s cabinet will be asked to back the GMSF for consultation on November 11 and the full council will be asked on November 25 to approve it to be submitted to government following consultation.

If approved, the consultation will run from December 1 to January 26.

Councils from all 10 Greater Manchester borough will need to approve the plan if it to move to the next stage, that of consideration by the Government.