Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration.

The report provides a robust and comprehensive evidence base to inform future Local Plan policies on open space provision.  It also provides a mechanism to enable the Council to ensure that the value of open space is afforded due weight in both plan making and development management decision making processes.

The Working Party is asked to note the report.

Officer Contact: Steve Johnson on 0161 474 3509 or email steven.johnson@stockport.gov.uk.

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) which provided Members with details of a robust and comprehensive evidence base to inform future Local Plan policies on open space provision.  The report further provided a mechanism to enable the Council to ensure that the value of open space was afforded due weight in both plan making and development management decision making processes.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         Members questioned whether the forthcoming report would state how much of the Borough’s land mass was designated as green belt.  In response, it was stated that this was an Open Space study and was not looking specifically at Green Belt.

·         The Chair stated that he felt there was a connection to be made between the Open Space Study and the Green Belt.  He questioned whether this information would be provided as part of the spatial framework.  In response the Chair was advised that a Green Belt Assessment was being undertaken as part of the GMSF work and that the Open Space study would feed into the local plan work.  It was acknowledged that open space and Green Belt land were both relevant and that the relationship between these two and future development was something that would be considered as part of the Local Plan work.

·         Members asked whether there could be some elaboration on how the Green Belt would be assessed for quality and value.  What would be the criteria?  The Chair was advised that there was a full assessment of Green Belt being undertaken by consultants that would examine all of the GM Green Belt and provide a value judgement against each purpose of the Green Belt.

·         Members considered that this was a very serious issue and that the Council’s new Executive would need to keep a very close eye on it.

·         The Chair commented that it was vital to open up more avenues of communication, particularly with Cheshire East Council.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.