Greater Manchester’s controversial Places for Everyone scheme which has been almost a decade in the making,has taken a step forward with Inspectors appointed by the Secretary of State (Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) confirming that the plan is ready to move to the next stage of the process.
They have recommended that the nine authorities consult on a set of recommendations to clarify the wording of the policies however the vision, objectives and Spatial Strategy for the Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan of nine Greater Manchester districts remain unchanged.
The plan which sets out how the region will determine the kind of development that takes place in their boroughs, maximising the use of brownfield land and urban spaces while protecting Green Belt land from the risk of unplanned development has already been rejected by one of the region’s borough’s Stockport and earlier this summer saw the 74-acre Chat Moss site north of Irlam station removed from the plans.
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.
“Moreover, having a city-regional spatial plan has always been about providing clarity about future development within our city-region to ensure that we genuinely work towards meeting housing need, avoiding to the best of our ability costly planning by appeal, ensuring we meet the government’s requirements on land-supply for housing need, whilst also utilising this clarity on future development sites as a framework to assist in tackling the housing and homelessness crisis through new housing supply, acknowledging that every residents and family in Greater Manchester should have a place to call home.
“Ultimately, having a city-regional spatial plan of the nine Local Authorities will be a critical tool in supporting Greater Manchester’s case for further devolution from central government, whilst also providing us with a strategic blue-print, along with district’s Local Plans to further advocate for the residents, families and communities of Greater Manchester with national government, the investment and development communities and within a global economy.
“We now move into the next phase of Council approvals and a public consultation on the plan, and I hope that by next year we can move towards adoption of the plan and turn our vision into a reality.”
