Bosses of an Urmston stables and riding centre have lodged an appeal with the planning inspectorate against Trafford council's refusal of a bid to build a 125-place children's nursery on the site – on Green Belt land.
The owners of Meadowgate Farm on Cob Kiln Lane submitted an amended application for their plan – first put forward in 2021 – earlier this year, but was once again refused.
In its refusal notice, the authority says the nursery would be 'inappropriate development' and 'by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and would have an unacceptable impact on its openness'.
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The notice, signed off by head of planning and development Rebecca Coley, goes on: "There are no 'very special circumstances' that would clearly outweigh the identified harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness'.
The applicants – Mr and Mrs O'Sullivan – want to clear the site to make way for a single storey children's nursery to the north west of the site near a public right of way.
There would also be car parking and landscaping as well as works to Cob Kiln Lane, including a new pedestrian footpath.
Residents living near to the stables on Meadowgate have objected to the plans, but none were willing to be named.
One told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We know that representations with regard to the planning appeal must be submitted by August 24.
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"The issues for us a very clear. It's Green Belt land, and the traffic and parking problems around here are bad enough as things stand now. This would make things a whole lot worse."
A report published on Trafford council's planning portal says that the initial proposal for the nursery was amended on the advice of the local authority for a reduction of the building from two storeys to one storey and the intended capacity of the nursery revised downwards from 150 children to 125.
"The planning history illustrates that all buildings and structures on the site, including stables, retail and storage facilities, and outdoor sand arena are lawful developments and as such the site constitutes previously developed," it said.
"Where development is located in the Green Belt, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that the impact the development has on the openness of the Green Belt should be assessed."
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