Stockport Council to publish Local Plan

Stockport Council will tomorrow publish its Local Plan which will guide development policy in the borough for the next 15 years. The Plan, a statutory requirement, will be subject to full public consultation and detailed examination through the Council’s all-party scrutiny process.

Consultation on the Local Plan was paused last year when the then Conservative Secretary of State decided to update the National Policy Planning Framework and fundamentally change some of the requirements, this took a year to do.

With the Labour governments election last week, there could be more changes to planning policy on the horizon, with continued uncertainty but with a fast-approaching hard deadline for submission, Stockport Liberal Democrats are ensuring that any local plan is rooted with the backing of the local public.

Deputy Leader of the Council and lead on the Local Plan, Cllr Mark Roberts, said: “The local plan is an enormous piece of work and an opportunity for local people to have their say. It is about us all taking the reins and having Stockport’s future in our own hands.

“The Liberal Democrats know our residents want us to protect the greenbelt, tackle climate change and deliver the much-needed right homes in the right places. This is done by delivering a true brownfield first approach (previously developed land) focusing on predeveloped land, bringing neglected and underused sites back into use. Land that is now derelict can be transformed into homes, businesses, and community hubs, all whilst avoiding unnecessarily getting rid of greenbelt land, land that will be gone forever once developed on. 

“The local plan we’re putting forward provides the good quality homes that the people of Stockport want for their families, whilst still protecting the green spaces that make our borough so special. Furthermore, it is our strongest policy tool to tackle the climate crisis that impacts us all and ensures that the houses being built are modern, energy efficient homes fit for the future.

“In the coming weeks and months, residents will be able to have their say on our plan, it’s their chance to be able to help shape what our borough will look like in the coming decades.  We want local people to have their say loud and clear to make sure the wishes of people living in Stockport get heard.”