Greater Manchester authorities to consider recommendations for spatial plan  

The Planning Inspectorate has recommended a series of main modifications for Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone plans, which must now be subject to a consultation. 

Places for Everyone sets out a long-term vision for sustainable development in nine council areas up to 2037, creating homes and jobs, maximising brownfield land use and protecting green belt. 

The nine districts are Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan. 

Inspectors have recommended that the nine authorities consult on a set of modifications to clarify the wording of the policies, but have said the objectives and spatial strategy for the joint development plan remain unchanged.  

One modification tweaks the period the plan covers. Initially, it was until 2037, but inspectors recommend that it should cover the years 2022-2039. 

Therefore, using the government’s standard methodology for calculating local housing need, another modification takes this figure from 165,000 to just over 175,000 homes during the plan period of 2022 to 2039. 

The modified plan period will see the net amount of green belt land proposed for release rise from 1,754 to 2,213 hectares. In relation to the nine districts preparing this plan, this means a 4.1 per cent reduction in the size of the green belt. The majority of development will take place within the urban area, most of which is brownfield land; 90 per cent of housing, 98 per cent (down from 99 per cent owing to the plan period change) of offices and 51 per cent (down from 47 per cent) of industrial and warehousing development. 

The examination-in-public hearing sessions took place between November 2022 and July 2023. This letter from the inspectors confirms the outcome of the hearing sessions. 

These modifications will shortly be consulted on, with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority saying that it will “endeavour to make the information on the modifications consultation available as early as possible”. The consultation will last for eight weeks, longer than the guidance requires. 

Council cabinets or executives will need to approve the modifications for consultation. 

Paul Dennett, Mayor of Salford City Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) portfolio lead for Places for Everyone, said he is “pleased that after a vigorous process of public examination, the planning inspectors have supported the overall ambitions” of Places for Everyone.   

Having a city-regional spatial plan, Dennett explained, “has always been about providing clarity about future development within our city-region to ensure that we genuinely work towards meeting housing need, avoiding to the best of our ability costly planning by appeal, ensuring we meet the government’s requirements on land-supply for housing need whilst also utilising this clarity on future development sites as a framework to assist in tackling the housing and homelessness crisis through new housing supply, acknowledging that every residents and family in Greater Manchester should have a place to call home”. 

“Ultimately, having a city-regional spatial plan of the nine local authorities will be a critical tool in supporting Greater Manchester’s case for further devolution from central government whilst also providing us with a strategic blueprint, along with district’s local plans to further advocate for the residents, families and communities of Greater Manchester with the national government, the investment and development communities and within a global economy.”  

14 August 2023 
Laura Edgar, The Planner 

Our planning news is published in association with The Planner, the official magazine of the Royal Town Planning Institute.