Greater Manchester Housing Plan Faces High Court Legal Challenge

A 15-year housing development strategy for Greater Manchester is set to proceed to the High Court following a judge’s decision to permit a legal challenge brought by campaigners. Andy Burnham’s Places for Everyone (PfE) plan, which designates land for 115,000 new residences, was endorsed by nine of the region’s councils earlier this year. However, campaigners from Save Greater Manchester Green Belt Ltd have initiated a judicial review in an effort to halt the contentious proposal, which has been under development since 2014. Mr Justice Fordham has ruled that their case is eligible to advance to the High Court. A spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) stated that the GMCA and the nine councils that have committed to the plan will continue to defend it. “Unless the High Court decides otherwise, all policies within PFE including those relating to green belt additions, remain valid and will continue to be used to determine planning applications,” they added. The 15-year development plan has been overseen by the GMCA, which Mr Burnham leads as the region’s mayor. While it was initially intended to include every Greater Manchester council, Stockport voted to withdraw in late 2020. The blueprint facilitates the construction of tens of thousands of new homes, primarily utilizing a “brownfield land first” approach, though some will be built on green belt land. The GMCA spokesperson indicated it was put forward to build “the new homes that our communities need”. Earlier this year, campaigners sought a review based on five grounds, but a hearing held last week effectively determined that only one of these appeal grounds, specifically concerning “green belt additions” to the PfE scheme, was deemed acceptable. “We did everything possible to challenge the inclusion of green belt allocations in this plan,” the campaign group stated. “It was unnecessary, inappropriate and is a complete betrayal of future generations, given the impact on land that should be supporting climate mitigation, nature’s recovery and future food security.” The judge’s ruling means that the GMCA, the nine councils, and the government’s planning inspectorate, which had approved the scheme with modifications, now face a legal dispute in the High Court. The most significant outcome the court could impose is the annulment of PfE.