Council leaders fear veto for green belt plan
FEARS are growing among Greater Manchester council chiefs that Stockport could veto the entire region’s plans for green belt development.
Opposition Liberal Democrat councillors have already tried, unsuccessfully, to pull Stockport out of the 20-year masterplan - but are readying themselves to try again at the borough’s full council meeting on Thursday.
With many Conservative and even senior Labour councillors now also opposed, there are concerns in other parts of the region that the move could succeed.
After months of fury about the plan, insiders at the Greater Manchester combined authority now admit plans for green belt development in the borough will have to be scaled back in order to get it approved by the town hall.
It is unclear in what way it would be revised, however. One senior source suggested Stockport could yet have to drop out of the plan altogether if councillors refuse to approve it later this year.
Anger has been growing for months after the region’s spatial strategy a long-term blueprint for new homes and businesses - proposed building thousands of homes on green belt.
In Stockport, one site in High Lane would take 4,000 homes, while two separate parts of Heald Green would also see thousands of new houses.
Hundreds of residents joined a protest against the plans on Saturday, ending in a show of force at Stockport Town Hall.
Even Stockport’s own housing chief, Coun Sheila Bailey, suggested it should be scrapped this week at a meeting on the issue with Labour mayoral candidate Andy Burnham - and questioned whether it had been ‘imposed’ at regional level.
Council leader Alex Ganotis admitted ‘cracks’ were now forming in his own group over the issue.
But he added: “I don’t think it’s about pulling out of the plan in our group.
“We have to stick with the process.
“Why would we pull out at this stage of the process, before the second phase of consultation?”
It is so far unclear how all parties will vote on the motion next week, but even if it does not succeed the majority of councillors will need to approve it eventually in order for it to move forward and be submitted to government.
Other councils - including Oldham - are now also said to be considering withdrawing some of the more controversial elements of their plans.