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Stockport Council has been awarded £90,000 from the government’s PropTech Engagement Fund to adopt new technology into the planning system and help support engagement with the Local Plan.
Stockport is one of 13 local authorities selected for the funding stream from the Department of Levelling up, Housing and Communities.
The £90,000 awarded to Stockport Council will allow the creation of a mapping tool to bring their Local Plan to life when it goes out to formal public consultation, allowing people to explore and comment on specific aspects of the plan more easily. It is hoped that this interactive, more visual approach will appeal to a wide audience and increase engagement, especially with younger people and those that may have experienced barriers in engaging with consultations in the past.
The Stockport Local Plan will set out the vision for future development in the borough. The council is required to produce the plan which will be used to assess planning applications for new developments in Stockport over the next 15 years.
Cllr David Meller, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council, said:
This is welcome news and the funding will allow us to engage with residents in a more creative and interactive way, so that we can get a wide range of feedback from as many people as possible, which is really important.”
Cllr David Sedgwick, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus and Engagement, said:
As a Council, we’re always looking at new and innovative ways of reaching people digitally and this funding will go some way in allowing people to really understand what we’re trying to achieve and get them interested in this important plan for the future of Stockport.”