Green belt schemes scaled back - as 7 major developments are signed off
THOUSANDS of homes earmarked for Stockport’s green belt have been ‘significantly’ cut from Greater Manchester’s new housing and employment masterplan.
The move forms part of Mayor Andy Burnham’s long-awaited – and revised – spatial framework document that outlines development in the region for the next two decades.
The document also sets out plans for a radically improved transport infrastructure - including longterm aspirations to link Stockport to the city Metrolink system.
The original paper – first published in 2016 – earmarked a swathe of protected land for redevelopment, which caused a political headache for the Labour-run authority.
However, according to the latest draft of the city’s planning strategy, six sites remain in the plan – but most, if not all, have been reduced in size.
Council boss Alex Ganotis welcomed the new proposals – and said slashing around 8,000 homes from the council’s green belt allocation was a ‘positive’ move.
“If you compare today’s situation with 2016 – we’re certainly in a better position,” he said.
“The number of units planned for protected land has been signifiicantly cut from 12,000 to 4,000 – and overall the number of units have been reduced.”
A major problem for the authority has been its lack of brownfield sites to develop.
However, in a bid to kickstart its plans to build a 3,000-home ‘urban village’ in the town centre, the authority is currently forming Manchester’s first ‘mayoral development corporation’.
Plans for the new corporation will be tabled next week – and, if approved, will hand powers to council chiefs to free-up underutilised sites.
Coun Ganotis added: “Not everyone is going to be ecstatic about the new strategy, I get that, but we have to be realistic.
“And, to be fair, this is a consultation – and we will welcome all feedback.”
The rewritten spatial framework will be considered formally by GMCA on Friday, January 11.
If approved, it will be subject to public consultation, which starts on Monday, January 21 and ends on March 18.
After the consultation closes the comments will inform a new draft to be published for consultation in summer 2019. ●●WHAT do you think? Write to our letters page.