Agenda and minutes

Councillors and Officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the agenda items for the meeting.

The following interest was declared:-

Personal and Prejudicial Interest

It was noted that the Standards Committee had approved a dispensation to enable those councillors who were members of the Board of the Stockport Town Centre West Mayoral Development Corporation and who would otherwise have a personal and prejudicial interest in the matter being discussed to take part in the debate and vote at the meeting.

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration

The report sets out, for Members’ consideration and endorsement, a proposed way ahead for the new Stockport Local Plan

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to:-

·         Endorse the refreshed approach to developing a Local Plan for Stockport, including the principles set out in Appendix A.

·         Endorse and support the approach to engaging with communities across Stockport during the Summer to assist in developing a draft Plan.

·         Endorse the Development Plan Working Party continuing to take the lead in progressing the workstreams required to produce a Draft Plan for submission in Autumn 2022.

The Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out, for Members’ consideration and endorsement, a proposed way ahead for the new Stockport Local Plan.

Members were advised that Stockport’s withdrawal from the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework and the coming together of all the Council’s partners and communities during the Covid-19 pandemic and the agreement of a set of shared priorities through the One Stockport Borough Plan, had provided a once in a generation opportunity for Stockport to take a refreshed approach to how it planned for the future of Stockport. There was a new opportunity to develop a Local Plan which was the right plan for Stockport, by Stockport.

Fully aligning to the vision articulated in the One Stockport Borough Plan, the new Local Plan would act as the land use plan needed to deliver this vision for Stockport. It would play a vital role in ensuring that there were the right homes, the right infrastructure and the right facilities to enable the whole of Stockport to thrive, whilst enshrining the mechanisms needed to protect the environment and places which made Stockport unique, and ensured Stockport played its part in responding to the climate emergency.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         A Member highlighted the section of the report which highlighted that given the considerable shortfall of 7,484 between the most recent housing supply position (11,097 dwellings) and the housing need identified in paragraph 4.2 of the report (working number of 18,581 dwellings), there was very little prospect of that gap being filled by potential units identified through work being carried out. Members noted that the local housing need number set out in the report was a working number and that work was underway to review both this number and the current housing supply figure. Members requested further information about the potential of the work to review the current Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) to fill the identified supply gap. The Committee were advised that further detail on this would be available next month.

·         Members queried whether, as the Council had declared a climate emergency, consideration should be given to the carbon and environmental impact of construction. It was discussed that this could be an area of work for the Development Plan Working Party to consider and explore in more detail.

·         Members raised the point that there was a lot of office space across the borough that was currently under-utilised due to changing working patterns as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Members queried what work was being undertaken to work with businesses to identify such space which might have potential for housing. The Committee were advised that through the urban optimisation work and review of the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), opportunities were being reviewed.

·         Members discussed how it was important to ensure the quality of any office to residential conversions and to avoid over-densification. Members raised particular concerns about the experiences of such conversions on the town centre and surrounding areas, and the impact this was having on urban green and open space in the town centre.

·         Members expressed support for the ‘bottom-up/ community-led’ approach set out in the report and agreed it was vital to listen to the views of communities. 

It was then

MOVED AND SECONDED

That the report be noted.

For the motion 4, against 5

MOTION NOT CARRIED

It was then

RESOLVED – (5 for, 4 abstentions) (1) That the refreshed approach to developing a Local Plan for Stockport, including the principles set out in Appendix A, be endorsed.

(2) That the approach to engaging with communities across Stockport during the Summer to assist in developing a draft Plan be endorsed and supported.

(3) That the Development Plan Working Party continue to take the lead in progressing the workstreams required to produce a Draft Plan for submission in Autumn 2022.