Issue - meetings

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

The report provides a general progress update on the Brown field First work and a more specific update on the recommendations approved by the former Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee at the meeting held on 2 March 2017.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

·         consider and comment on the generic progress, and specific progress against actions, in support of the Brownfield First programme as outlined in the report; and

·         endorse further development of the Brownfield first approach.

Officer Contact: Nicola Turner on 0161 218 1635 or email: nicola.turner@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing a general progress report update on the Brownfield First work and a more specific update on the recommendations approved by the former Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee at the meeting held on 2 March 2017.

The Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration (Councillor Kate Butler) attended the meeting to present the report and respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

• The work on Stockport’s Local Plan was running in parallel with the additional review of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, but not necessarily at the same speed. The initial consultation on the Local Plan would take two years and the next draft version of the Great Manchester Spatial Framework was now proposed to be published in June 2018. Even without the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework which would provide overall housing targets for Stockport, the Council would still need to go through a Local Plan process.
• The Elected Mayor of Greater Manchester had been granted extensive compulsory purchase order powers under the devolution deal.
• The Forward Fund element of the Housing Infrastructure Fund supported infrastructure to unlock large volume housing sites. The Council was submitting, via the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, a joint expression of interest with Cheshire East Council and Transport for Greater Manchester for a SEMMMS Bus Rapid Transit scheme.
• The amount of monies from the Greater Manchester Housing Fund which had been invested in Stockport were discussed.
• The speed at which the Council would be able to implement the Brownfield First initiative would not be near reaching the housing targets in the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, given the length of time it had taken to complete the process of implementing compulsory purchase orders.
• Regular reports on the Brownfield First initiative were requested.
• The importance of the Brownfield First work in minimising the effect on the green belt was highlighted.
• The need for energy performance certificates from April 2018 to re-let properties would cause problems to the owners of mills who were wishing to re-let them.
• The importance of the development trackers in keeping a track of developments which had stalled was welcomed.
• The Brownfield First initiative was a boroughwide policy and not just confined to the town centre.
• With regard to Action 3 – Town Centre Housing Zone, the level of density of housing in the town centre was important. The scrutiny review on town centre living would help inform this.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That further update reports be submitted to future meetings of the Scrutiny Committee,