• Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Independent group reject regional plan for jobs, homes and the environment
• Stockport will now have to look to prepare a Local Plan in line with the full housing need figure of 18,343 homes

At Thursday’s Extraordinary Council meeting the Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Independent groups teamed up to vote down the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework – the regional approach to providing jobs, homes and protecting the environment.

The GMSF would have set out a regional plan until 2037 that would have delivered a balanced approach to housing across the borough. The plan offered protection to our greenbelt and greenspaces, created new jobs, promoted sustainable policies such as active transport and carbon neutral homes and kept Stockport’s ambitions prioritised on a regional and national level.

In the process the plan would have seen some 5500 less homes being built within the borough – which is especially important considering the lack of available land supply in Stockport.

Instead, the Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Independent groups argued for no greenbelt development at all. This approach would have pushed the amount of housing being delivered to a level which simply would not have held up at public examination.

Not only would this argument have failed at the examination stage in the GMSF, but it will also threaten to undermine the progression of the Local Plan.

The council will now have to take into consideration Stockport’s full housing need figure of 18,343 homes, as well as producing a new transport strategy in line with the Local Plan.

In the meantime Stockport could be at risk to speculative development, which will most likely occur in Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Independent held wards. In a worst case scenario Stockport could even face government intervention if it fails to find consensus on the Local Plan.

Leader of the Council Cllr Elise Wilson, said.

“Our ambition to be a growing and prosperous Stockport suffered a blow last night when the GMSF was voted down.

“Despite our communities crying out for affordable homes, for all age living and adaptable properties, improved transport links, local amenities, and quality jobs, opposition parties have voted down a plan that would have delivered for the people of Stockport and kept Stockport prioritised on a regional level.

“I will of course honour the democratic vote from full council as we always said we would do and work on a local plan will begin immediately.

“However, make no mistake the challenges we face haven’t gone away with the GMSF, they have simply moved over to the Local Plan where we now have more problems, but less tools to solve them.”

Cllr David Meller, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration, said;

“The Liberal Democrats have once again shown why they cannot be trusted to run Stockport Council.

“Their councillors have failed to engage with any of the arguments for the plan and chose to vote it down purely for political purposes.

“As a result, we will now have to find room for an extra 5,000 homes risking the urban green spaces within areas like Stepping Hill, Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme and putting our Green Belt in jeopardy.

“How can a party that is more than happy to vote for major road schemes to be built on the green belt say it is a red line when it comes to building homes for people?

“The Liberal Democrats want roads over homes.”

ENDS.