GREENBELT land across Bury could be built on in the future, the council has confirmed.

Representatives from the local authority say the majority of sites being looked at for extra homes are greenbelt.

There is a need for 230,000 new homes in Greater Manchester up to 2030 and there is a current shortfall of 70,000.

To meet the shortfall, landowners, developers and members of the public were asked to submit potential development sites to enable them to “bridge the gap.”

Crispian Logue, head of strategic planning and economical development of Bury Council, attended a meeting of the Ramsbottom, Tottington and North Manor Township Forum last week.

Mr Logue said: “A number of the sites are constrained by greenbelt land. The government clearly has an expectation that development plans should cater for its full needs.

“One of the options for Greater Manchester to consider is whether greenbelt land is released.”

There will be a public consultation on the draft plan in October before a further consultation on the full plan in June 2017.

Cllr Iain Gartside said: “What you said about the option to build on greenbelt isn’t what Brandon Lewis the minister of state for housing and planning is saying.

“In a recent letter he makes it clear that inappropriate development may only be allowed on greenbelt where very special circumstances exist.

“It will only allow it in exceptional circumstances and with the support of local people.

“To me that is going further than what you said because we would only be talking about exceptional circumstances.”

Talking about the potential building on greenbelt he responded: “As an option it has to be considered.”

Cllr Dorothy Gunther said that she had been contacted by a number of people who are very concerned.

She said: “People are very concerned about the security of our greenbelt.

“We do live in a lovely area and it’s fair to say that the vast majority of us want to keep it that way.

“There are genuine concerns because they are seeing areas of open land, with trees being cut down or crosses on them where they think they are going to be cut down.

“People have assumed that that is with a view to enabling them to build.

“Which is why I invited Crispian here this evening to try and allay some of that fear.”

Mr Logue said that the only thing which could stop trees from being cut down was to put a tree preservation order on them.

Cllr Gunther said: “The way it’s going we are going to have to get a tree preservation area on every tree in the area.”

The results of a second consultation next year will be submitted to the Government before a public examination in Spring 2018.

More information on the framework can be found online on the Bury Council website.