Welcome news about regeneration plans for another of Manchester's towns. 

The piece comments on how "if it is to succeed, it must have widespread support from all sections of the community, including residents and businesses, young and old"; but it also needs to be joined up with the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, wider transport plans for Manchester and the Planning for the Future white paper.

A number of outlying greenbelt areas in the town have been removed from the GMSF but there are a number of prominent and unused brownfield sites where regeneration should be encouraged. If traffic in the town is to be reduced, but housing increased, then this must be linked up to better and more usable public transport and tie in with Greater Manchester's wider plans.

The council will also no doubt have an important role to play in ensuring affordable housing is provided in the locations it is needed if the plans outlined in the recent Planning for the Future white paper play out as expected.