Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Vice-Chair for the period until the next Annual Meeting of the Council.

RESOLVED – That Councillor Mark Roberts be elected Vice Chair of the Working Party for the period until the next Annual Council Meeting.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 22 April 2024.

The minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 22 April 2024 were approved as a correct record.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

Councillors and Officers were invited to declare any interest that they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made.

To consider a report of the Assistant Director Place Making and Planning.

Members will be aware that following the decision to undertake a consultation on the Regulation 18 version of the Stockport Local Plan (SLP), the government issued a consultation in relation to proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). As a result of those proposed changes, it was decided that the SLP consultation should be paused.

This report will outline the work that has taken place in relation to the SLP since that pause, provide the most up-to-date information in relation to publication of the revised NPPF publication and proposed next steps for the local plan.

The Working Party is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

A representative of the Assistant Director Place Making and Planning submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) which outlined the work that had taken place in relation to the SLP consultation since the decision was made to pause and provided the most up-to-date information in relation to the publication of the revised NPPF publication and proposed next steps for the local plan.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         The Vice Chair expressed his thanks to the Edgeley Community Association for their work in connection with the local plan.

·         With regard to looking for sites, would this be based on an interpretation of the draft NPPF or would this happen once the full details were published?  In response, the Working Party was advised that in terms of review and assessment of sites, this would wait until the new NPPF was published, but the exercise would start before the process but will run to around the same time as the NPPF is published.

·         If Members have any ideas about suitable sites then please could these be forwarded to officers.

·         A short discussion took place as to why and how the Council found itself in the current position with regard to the local plan.

·         Will the sites previously identified be retained or would the call for sites be starting from scratch?  In response, the Working Party was advised that previous sites would be considered.

·         Members emphasised the importance of having the strongest evidence position.

·         Members requested an update of the Council’s supply position with regards to the strategic land availability assessment, could this be supplied in order to avoid duplication?

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To agree the dates of future meetings of the Working Party.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         A short discussion took place relating to whether or not meetings of the Working Party should be held remotely or face to face.  It was agreed that this matter would be considered when considering future meetings.

RESOLVED – that future meetings of the Development Plan Working Party would take place on:

11 December 2024

15th January 2025

6 February 2025