After being forced out of two previous homes by compulsory purchase orders (CPO), 76-year-old Alan French says developers will not drive him off his farm again as controversy over the Godley Green scheme intensifies.
Farmer digs in against major housing development
A farmer at the centre of one of Greater Manchester’s most contentious housing developments has vowed to stay put, despite plans for more than 2,000 homes to be built around his property.
Alan French has lived at Far Meadow Farm in Godley, near Hyde, for the past 17 years. But the countryside surrounding his home is earmarked for the sprawling Godley Green Garden Village development — a scheme set to transform large areas of former green belt land into a new community of 2,150 homes.
French says he has no intention of leaving. “Every time I move somewhere developers want it,” he said to George Lythgoe, a local democracy reporter at the BBC and Manchester Evening News. “I’m 76 now and by the time it all gets going, I shall probably have died by then. But just for spite, I’m not going to.” His resistance comes after neighbours were issued CPOs linked to the project being led by Tameside Council and MADE Partnership, which is a joint venture involving Barratt Redrow, Homes England, and Lloyds Banking Group.
French says the scheme is particularly difficult to accept because he has already lost two previous homes to developments through compulsory purchase.
“This is no longer a rural place,” said French. “It’s going to get worse if they get their way.”
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What is the Godley Green Garden Village proposal?
The village development has sparked fierce debate among locals since it first emerged in 2016 under the ditched Greater Manchester Spatial Framework draft.
The current scheme would create two connected village centres between Hyde and Hattersley, alongside shops, community facilities, green spaces, and new transport links. Plans also include expanding the local school and a bridge connecting the site to Hattersley railway station. Supporters argue the project is key to tackling housing shortages across Tameside and Greater Manchester.
Tameside Council leader Eleanor Wills has described the development as a carefully designed scheme that would “create a natural, representative community from the outset”. The council's executive member for inclusive growth, Jack Naylor, says that the development is intended to provide “much-needed homes in a sustainable community", while the official site states: "our proposals will deliver at least a 10% increase in biodiversity".
The site was formally removed from the green belt under the Places for Everyone regional development framework in 2024, paving the way for the project to move forward. Planning approval has since been recommended and the funding secured for infrastructure works. (Read more about Godley Green on the official site.)
Thousands objected to plans
Despite backing from the council and development partners, opposition has remained intense. More than 4,000 objections were submitted during the planning process, while campaigners collected thousands of signatures and launched fundraising efforts for a potential judicial review.
Residents and landowners have argued that the development would permanently damage green belt countryside and place pressure on local infrastructure. While local campaigner Anne Tym warns that the project would “completely ruin” the area. Critics have accused the council of prioritising housing targets and future tax revenues over environmental concerns.
"The green belt is there for a purpose," says Anne Tym, whose family owns land set for development.
The political row surrounding the scheme has at times become heated. In 2022, then-council leader Brenda Warrington drew criticism after declaring she would be “on that first bulldozer” and that the development would be “rammed down” opponents’ throats.
Construction could begin next year
According to the latest project timelines, initial work on the site could begin in 2026, with the first homes expected to follow in 2027. The full build-out is projected to take around 15 years. For now, however, French remains determined to outlast the diggers. While vast chunks of land around him are being claimed for redevelopment, the farmer insists Far Meadow Farm is where he intends to stay.
Top image credit: LDRS
