A LAND battle has started over plans for a plot in Trafford, where planning permission has been granted for tonnes of dirt to be dumped.

Carrington parish council is concerned by an already-approved planning application to drop a seven-foot high pile of ‘inert material’ on land off Manchester Road, close to an ancient woodland, and shape it into a new recreational ground.

The plans were supported by the old parish council, before a new raft of councillors came in at the end of 2019. The previous administration resigned en masse following claims their homes were being watched and they’d received hate mail.

But the new council has taken issue with the decisions made by their predecessors regarding the land; which the parish council owns.

A parish council spokesman said: "We ....feel that this project is no more than a landfill exercise, dressed up as an improvement or redevelopment of the only green space and ancient orchard left within the village.

“This is a one-acre, seven-foot high, football pitch sized monstrosity which will have no asthetic benefit or amenity for the village and residents.”

A Go Fund Me page has been set up.

Trafford Council approved an application from developers EMS Asset Management back in March 2019, with the support of the previous parish council to deposit the ‘inert material’ and create the new recreational ground.

But the new parish council said residents were ‘totally unaware’ of the plans.

A spokesman added: “This has all been brought to our attention as an inheritance to the new parish council and which residents were totally unaware of.

“Subsequently a referendum of the village has been carried out and residents have show their disapproval of this outlandish proposal.”

The borough council stated a permit would be needed by EMS before any dumping of material could take place to ensure no risk is posed to people or the environment.

The authority pointed out a condition of the permission granted last year would be that the work would be completed with 18 months – in other words by September 2020.

A borough spokesman said: “The council granted the planning application for this site with the support of Carrington parish council.

"Although the permission includes the tipping of inert material, the end result would be the creation of an improved playing field facility.

“Planning permission does not, in itself, grant a company any rights to access or use land for this purpose.

"If the parish council no longer want the works to go ahead, and as they own the land, this is a matter for them to resolve legally with the company concerned.”

It is understood Carrington parish council is taking legal advice on the issue.

It has set up a GoFundMe page to cover any upcoming legal costs which can be accessed here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-carrington-recreational-field?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet