Issue - meetings

The Area Committee will receive a brief presentation on the proposed approach to engagement on the Local Plan.

Emma Curle (Strategic Head of Place Making and Planning) attended the meeting to provide a brief presentation to the area committee on the proposed approach to engaging with communities and stakeholders as the Local Plan was developed and seeking input on further opportunities to engage with local communities.

The following comments were made /issues raised:-

·         It was noted that engagement work and the wealth of information and responses received during the development of Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) should inform the development of the Local Plan.

·         That was a danger of consultation fatigue as residents struggled to understand the difference between the GMSF and the Local Plan.

·         It was commented that, in order to drive engagement, the differences between GMSF and the Local Plan should be highlighted to local residents in order to show that this was a new project with a local focus.

·         Members questioned whether face-to-face engagement would ultimately become the focus of the engagement process as restrictions relating to COVID-19 were loosened over time. In response, it was commented that, while face-to-face engagement would be crucial in targeting specific groups, it was unlikely to become the dominant method for engagement as local authorities nationwide gradually shift towards a more digital focus to the planning system.

·         It was noted that the use of a wide range of platforms had enabled a higher level of engagement in the Borough Plan over the last 16 months than might otherwise have been the case.

·         Feedback would need to be ongoing over time in order to judge the success of the engagement process and to reassure local residents and groups that their opinions had been heard and responded to within the local plan.

·         An information pack would be provided to members to ensure that they could confidently engage with local residents about the local plan.

RESOLVED – That Emma Curle be thanked for her attendance and presentation.

The Area Committee will receive a brief presentation on the proposed approach to engagement on the Local Plan.

Jonathan Mayo from the Place Directorate attended the meeting to provide a brief presentation on the proposed approach to engaging with communities and stakeholders as the Local Plan was developed and seeking input on further opportunities to engage with local communities.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         Members thanked the Officers for his attendance at the meeting and commended the quality of the proposed consultation on the Local Plan.

·         Members welcomed the approach being taken to include as many stakeholders and members of the community as possible.

·         Ward Members would like to hold separate meetings on this subject so that their knowledge of their wards could be utilised effectively.

·         Members wished to ensure that when the Local Plan was drawn up, notice was taken of the lack of affordable housing in Stockport.

RESOLVED – That Jonathan Mayo be thanked for his attendance and presentation.

The Area Committee will receive a brief presentation on the proposed approach to engagement on the Local Plan.

In accordance with the Code of Practice no organisation had indicated that they wished to address the Area Committee as part of the Open Forum arrangements.

Emma Curle (Chief Planning Officer) attended the meeting to provide a brief presentation to the area committee on the proposed approach to engaging with communities and stakeholders as the Local Plan was developed and seeking input on further opportunities to engage with local communities.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Clarification was sought regarding how the local plan would interface with the neighbourhood plans. In response, it was stated that the neighbourhood plans were far more advanced than the local plans, which meant that the neighbourhood plan would be built upon in the local plan so local policies could be updated and respond to and reflect the different neighbourhoods across Stockport.

·         It was requested that consideration be given to include the following groups in the consultation and engagement process;

o   Walkride Marple

o   Friends of Marple Station

o   High Lane Residents Association

o   High Lane Village Neighbourhood Forum

o   Marple Civic Society

o   Marple Independents

o   Hawk Green Residents Associations

o   Hawk Green Reading Room

o   Walkride Marple South & High Lane; and

o   The various church groups.

·         It was commented that local residents needed to be engaged and respond quickly in the process.

·         Members welcomed the plan and the engagement process and suggested that the approach be a bit more holistic through health agencies, doctor surgeries and community health organisations given the ageing nature of Marple residents.  

·         It was suggested that for those who were unable to access the internet that ‘paper’ engagement should be conducted through the libraries for local residents.

RESOLVED – (1) That Emma Curle be thanked for her attendance and presentation.

(2) That the Committee be asked to submit any suggestions relating to ‘groups’ that may be overlooked in the consultation process directly to the Planning Team as soon as possible.

The Area Committee will receive a brief presentation on the proposed approach to engagement on the Local Plan.

Amy Beasley (Service Manager Local Plan and Place Shaping) attended the meeting to provide a brief presentation to the area committee on the proposed approach to engaging with communities and stakeholders as the Local Plan was developed and seeking input on further opportunities to engage with local communities.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Paper copies of the local plan engagement survey should be made available in community spaces such as libraries for people who could not access the online version.

·         The officer time already spent on the development of Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) should not be wasted and significant elements of what work could be used in the development of the local plan. In response, it was noted that development of the local plan was always intended to be concurrent to GMSF and that the evidence base used for GMSF would be used within the local plan’s development.

·         Young people were keen to be engaged with on the local plan, and visual stimuli such as information videos about the plan may be the best way to engage with these groups.

·         Members requested a list of groups that had already been engaged with in order to understand better which communities within the borough could be targeted more closely.

·         Members questioned whether the completed plan would reduce the threat of aggressive and inappropriate development across the borough. In response it was commented that while the specific detail of the plan had not yet been written in regard to development, the plan would help to identify more appropriate areas for development in future.

·         Face-to-face engagement with local residents should always remain at the heart of the local plan.

RESOLVED – That Amy Beasley be thanked for her attendance and presentation.

The Area Committee will receive a brief presentation on the proposed approach to engagement on the Local Plan.

Emma Curle (Strategic Head of Place Making and Planning) attended the meeting to provide a brief presentation on the proposed approach to engaging with communities and stakeholders as the Local Plan was developed and seeking input on further opportunities to engage with local communities.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         Members suggested that members of the community who had a learning disability, their families and support networks should specifically be consulted as part of the Local Plan engagement.

·         In response to a Member’s question, the Committee was advised that the majority of the consultations would take place ‘virtually’ online, but that ‘face to face’ meetings could also take place if this proved necessary.

·         The Worker Bee Markets which were held in the Borough could also prove to be a useful location for undertaking the consultation.

RESOLVED – That Emma Curle be thanked for her attendance and presentation.