Stockport’s Green Belt: Protection Bid May Lead to Greater Development Risk

The leader of the opposition has asserted that Stockport Council’s choice to withdraw from a regional housing strategy, intended to safeguard its green belt, could ultimately expose the land to a heightened risk of development. In 2020, Stockport Council opted out of Greater Manchester’s collaborative housing development plan, subsequently formulating its own strategy to provide 16,000 new residences without encroaching on any green belt areas. However, a recent assessment of the national housing framework by the current government indicates that Stockport may now be required to deliver double the number of homes mandated by the region-wide plan over the forthcoming 15 years. Mark Hunter, the Liberal Democrat council leader, affirmed that exiting the plan constituted “the right decision to protect our green belt” and noted that the council had encountered several impediments in executing its independent strategy. Conversely, Labour opposition leader David Meller informed BBC Radio Manchester: “It didn’t have to be that way”. He elaborated, stating: “If we’d gone into the [Greater Manchester] Spatial Framework, that would have provided the protection and shared our [housing] allocation with other boroughs within Greater Manchester.” Meller further commented: “Whereas now we’re having to go on our own with a much higher number we’ve got to deliver and as a result we’ll have much more green belt taken.” On Monday evening, a council meeting convened to deliberate potential locations for the additional 16,000 homes, with a public appeal issued for prospective sites. Hunter expressed that the council felt “frustrated” by the government’s policy shift and attributed delays in implementing its earlier plan to reviews of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) conducted by both the previous Tory government and the current Labour government. He conveyed to BBC Radio Manchester: “We had a plan to deliver those homes where they’re needed here in Stockport.” He further asserted: “That would have delivered 85% of the national target.” Hunter stated his lack of intention to rejoin the regional plan, which he contended rendered Stockport “a target for developers” due to its extensive green space. He confirmed that the council’s preliminary plan would proceed to public consultation irrespective of the findings from the government’s wider housing review, anticipated to conclude by the end of this year.