0:00:11 > 0:00:12Good evening.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Hundreds of people representing groups from across
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Greater Manchester have united this afternoon to fight plans
0:00:16 > 0:00:18to build houses on Greenbelt land.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21They oppose plans by ten councils
0:00:21 > 0:00:24who claim there's not enough brownfield land available.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Yunus Mulla reports.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Add up the numbers and you would eventually arrive
0:00:29 > 0:00:31at more than 220,000 new houses.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35The communities affected say it makes sense to join forces -
0:00:35 > 0:00:37this rally was to show they're united.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40We all use the green space, the green belt for the same reason.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43You know, it's that green lung, it's so important to everybody's
0:00:43 > 0:00:46quality-of-life that we are singing from the same hymn sheet.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework involves
0:00:49 > 0:00:52ten local planning authorites -
0:00:52 > 0:00:56green belt land left would fall from 47% to 43%.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00I think it needs to be more ambitious on brownfield sites.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05In the past, Greater Manchester achieved 80% or 90% development
0:01:05 > 0:01:06on brownfield land.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10There is no reason why it shouldn't continue to do it in the future.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11Housing needs, it's being claimed,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14are based on flawed population projections
0:01:14 > 0:01:17and a desire to increase Council Tax receipts.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20We now need to look at whether or not
0:01:20 > 0:01:22we've got the right plan and whether or not,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24on the basis of the responses that people have given
0:01:24 > 0:01:26and the evidence people have submitted,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28we need to think again on those specific sites.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29That is what we'll do.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Earlier this year, the Government announced what it called
0:01:31 > 0:01:33"ambitious plans" to fix the housing market.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38And it referred to building the right homes in the right places.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41More weight will be given to brownfield sites
0:01:41 > 0:01:44and national planning policy amended.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47I think it's biased in favour of developers
0:01:47 > 0:01:50versus the communities.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53We are very upset about it, because we want...
0:01:53 > 0:01:55It wouldn't matter whether it was local politicians
0:01:55 > 0:01:58or national politicians, we want them to listen to the voices
0:01:58 > 0:02:00of the communities they serve.
0:02:00 > 0:02:10The newly-elected mayor will have a say,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18and then consultation follows in the autumn -
0:02:18 > 0:02:21time yet for some to get the changes they demand.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24New Ferry Town Team has launched a fund raising campaign to support
0:02:24 > 0:02:25those affected by last weekend's suspected gas explosion.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28The group, which is made up of residents, businesses
0:02:28 > 0:02:29and local authorities wants to raise ?10,000
0:02:29 > 0:02:31to help rebuild after the explosion
0:02:31 > 0:02:33which ripped through the area last Saturday night,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35leaving two people seriously injured, 31 others hurt
0:02:35 > 0:02:36and many people displaced.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Forensic science lab company Randox, which provides drug and alcohol
0:02:39 > 0:02:41testing for police forces, says accreditation
0:02:41 > 0:02:44for its Manchester laboratory has been suspended.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Earlier this year, two people who had worked
0:02:47 > 0:02:49for the company were arrested amid allegations
0:02:49 > 0:02:50of perverting the course of justice
0:02:50 > 0:02:53in relation to manipulation of data.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54They are now on bail.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Randox says accreditation for the Blackley lab
0:02:57 > 0:03:01will be suspended until investigations are complete.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03You may remember, in March last year,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07fire crews battled a huge blaze at Wythenshawe Hall.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Greater Manchester Fire Services officers worked through the night
0:03:09 > 0:03:13to save the historic building.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Well, a year on, they've returned to see progress on the restoration
0:03:16 > 0:03:18of the timber-framed medieval hall.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21A temporary roof was built to allow the hall to dry out.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Archaeologists have sifted through huge amounts of debris
0:03:24 > 0:03:25to save important items
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and engineers have assesed the property.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Now the bulk of the reconstruction can begin.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Sport, and in the Premier League,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37the Merseyside derby saw Liverpool beat Everton 3-0.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Burnley lost 2-0 to Tottenham at Turf Moor.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Manchester United dropped more points in their effort
0:03:45 > 0:03:48to get into the top four with a goalless draw against West Brom
0:03:48 > 0:03:49at Old Trafford.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Jose Mourinho's side have now drawn 11 games in the top flight
0:03:52 > 0:03:54and are in fifth place.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Superleague, and Matty Russell's hat-trick helped Warrington
0:03:56 > 0:03:58end their six-game Super League losing streak
0:03:58 > 0:04:00after a draw with Hull FC.
0:04:00 > 0:04:06Widnes Vikings beat Leigh Centurions 37-24.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Here's a look ahead to the forecast with Rebecca Wood.
0:04:10 > 0:04:10Good evening.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Well, it has been a day of sunshine and showers.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16But the first day of April, so what do we expect?
0:04:16 > 0:04:17As we had through tonight,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19we will see a ridge of high pressure building,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21and that will settle things down a little bit,
0:04:21 > 0:04:22and kill off those showers.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23So through tonight,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25clearing skies mean our temperatures will fall away.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28It will be chilly, we could get some mist patches developing
0:04:28 > 0:04:30here or there, and we're looking at how temperatures
0:04:30 > 0:04:32falling down to possibly five Celsius in some spots.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34So a chilly start to the day tomorrow.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38But it is going to be a fine and dry day, with lots of lovely sunshine.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40There will be some fairweather cloud through the afternoon -
0:04:40 > 0:04:42it could squeeze out the odd spot of drizzle.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Temperatures pushing back up into the mid-teens in some spots.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47So not a bad day at all.
0:04:47 > 0:04:55Staying settled into the new working week as well.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56That's all from us this evening.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58We're back tomorrow at around 6:40pm.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Until then, goodbye.
0:05:13 > 0:05:13Good