PLANS to build 124 new houses at an industrial site have been given the go ahead.

The housing development at the Mountheath Industrial Estate in Prestwich was waved through by councillors on the planning committee this week.

Local councillor Alan Quinn welcomed the new houses but described the development as a "missed opportunity".

He said: “The houses are 40 years out of date. It’s what they call a cut and paste development. A child could have designed it.”

A mixture of detached, semi-detached and terraced dwellings feature in Bellway Homes' plans.

The houses, which are predominantly two-storeys in height with some three-storey dwellings, would be constructed from brick and render with a tile roof.

Cllr Quinn welcomed houses being built on a brownfield site, new signals on nearby junctions and a contribution of £354,000 by the developer which will mostly be used for St Mary’s Park and the surrounding area.

But he expressed his disappointment at the developers for "squirming out" of building some affordable homes by using vacant building credit – a government incentive to encourage developers to build on brownfield sites.

Under the approved plans, there would be 18 affordable homes rather than the 31 which would typically be provided under the council's policies.

The Sedgley councillor was also concerned that the proposal was lacking in green initiatives.

He told the Bury Times that he had asked the developer for solar panels, a "genuinely" sustainable drainage system and air source heat pumps to feature in the plans.

But Bellway Homes did not make these additions because they were not requirements under the council's planning policies, according to the Labour councillor.

He said: “If things aren’t in the local plan, then they say, 'we don’t need to that'."

The plans were unanimously approved by the planning committee but one of the conditions relating to landscaping was tightened up on the night.

A total of two mature trees, which are set to be removed, are to be replaced by a ratio of five to one with semi-mature trees.

The applicant promised to build a "high quality sustainable residential neighbourhood", providing a range of homes and enhancing existing landscape features.