Greater Manchester joint development plan moves forward

The city-region’s Places for Everyone plan for housing and development across Greater Manchester has been approved by Inspectors from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

The proposals are the most recent iteration of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, which was knocked back in 2020 when councillors in Stockport voted to withdraw from the agreement over concerns that control over development on Greenbelt sites in the borough were being taken away from local communities. The redesigned Places for Everyone strategy acts to unify the remaining nine Greater Manchester boroughs under a single housing target and set out areas that will be earmarked both for protection from development and as suitable for new housing and commercial schemes.

DLUHC inspectors have now given the green light to the latest version of the plans to progress and recommended for the nine constituent councils affected to clarify and approve the wording of policies before the joint development plan moves to a public consultation on the modified plan.

Paul Dennett, Mayor of Salford City Council and GMCA Portfolio lead for Places for Everyone said:

“I am pleased that after a vigorous process of public examination, the Planning Inspectors have supported the overall ambitions in the city-regional spatial plan of the 9 Local Authorities: Places for Everyone. I would like to thank the Inspectors and everyone involved in this process and many consultations that have happened since Greater Manchester embarked upon this ambitious and strategically important work back in ?August 2014.

“It has been a long road to get us here, but the prize at the end of more homes, more jobs and sustainable growth rejuvenating our green spaces, reshaping our town centres and integrating new developments with our transport infrastructure to unlock new opportunities and tackle inequalities looks ever closer. “

Following Stockport’s withdrawal from the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, the borough has been required to prepare a new Local Plan of its own, progress towards which was delayed at the end of last year amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the National Planning Policy Framework.