Statement: Stockport Local Plan latest - December 16, 2022

Every council has to produce a local plan to set out the vision for future development in their area. It will be used to help decide on planning applications and other planning related decisions for the next 15 years. The plan is a guide to what can be built where, known as a land use plan.

The council has taken the decision to defer the planned consultation on our Local Plan following the publication of the Ministerial Statement issued on the 6th December which proposes amongst other things significant changes to the way in which we need to consider housing targets for local areas and in particular the protection of Green Belt.

The Government have indicated that they intend to consult on a new National Planning Policy Framework prospectus before Christmas and as such it is important that we wait to see what these changes could mean for our emerging Local Plan.
The decision to defer is not one that has been taken lightly and legal advice has been taken to inform this decision.

We will review the position and update on a revised timetable as soon as we are able to do so. We remain committed to having the right Local Plan for Stockport and do not want to put unnecessary burdens on our communities at this time by consulting on a plan that might not now fit Government guidance.