The housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, has written to Stockport Council over a lack of progress on the borough’s local plan.
Pennycook has ordered the council to complete initial consultation on an updated local plan by the 24th December 2025 for submission to the government for examination by 30 November 2026.
The letter called out the council over a lack of progress on its local plan, which has stalled since the council withdrew from the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework in 2022 due to concerns over the release of green belt land.
Pennycook wrote: “Stockport Council last adopted a local plan in 2011, and it is now over four years since Stockport withdrew from the preparation of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. Since 2020, the council has not progressed to a formal consultation on a new plan. In the same period, the rest of Greater Manchester has adopted a joint local plan which sets out strategic policies, giving those Councils the ability to plan effectively for their areas.”
The housing minister’s letter reminded the council that it had indicated it would reach Regulation 18 consultation by May 2025, and that funding had been made available to assist councils to progress local plan preparation and carry out green belt reviews. Stockport Council had received around £297,000 of support from the MHCLG.
The letter continued: “However, Stockport has subsequently failed to carry out a Regulation 18 consultation as you had outlined in your updated Local Development Scheme (LDS). This is only the latest of 2 several proposed consultations which your council has delayed or cancelled over the last two years. I have been very clear that where councils are failing to progress plans, I will not hesitate to make use of the Secretary of State’s intervention powers. Given the limited plan preparation progress over the last four years against previous milestones, the recent missed milestone for Regulation 18 consultation of May to June 2025, the need for the local development scheme to be updated, and the limited amount of time left in current system to consult upon and submit a plan, I believe it is necessary to consider intervention action in this case.”
A spokesperson for Stockport Council, said: “It is not the case that Stockport has failed to make progress on its local plan. We remain fully committed to progressing a new plan for the borough. A draft was ready for consultation in spring 2024, but national events outside our control meant this could not proceed. Work is now well underway to deliver the revised timetable we set out in July 2025 at the meeting of our development plan working party.”
“Stockport was ready to proceed to consultation on a regulation 18 draft local plan in Spring 2024, this could not proceed because of the General Election taking place in July 2024. We were ready to consult once more after the general election, but the National Planning Policy Framework was called in again, as had happened in the previous year, for review.”
“The revised National Planning Policy Framework was then published on 12 December 2024. We moved quickly to assess what changes were needed to the Regulation 18 draft to ensure compliance. Planning Practice Guidance on undertaking green belt assessments was published on 27 February 2025, at which point work on the Green Belt Assessment commenced.”
“The delay in publication of this guidance, and the consequential impact on the Green Belt Assessment, meant we were not in a position to consult on the Regulation 18 draft in line with the LDS at that stage. The Development Plan Working Party was updated in July with a revised timetable to reflect this.”
Stockport Council has set out new regeneration plans that could see up to 8,000 new homes created in the town centre as part of the 15-year vision.
The Town Centre East Strategic Regeneration Framework includes up to 4,000 homes in addition to the 4,000 planned for the west of the town centre. It also includes as a new secondary school and health hub, as well as improving public transport, cycling and walking links.
Stockport Council leader, Mark Roberts, said: “This gives us the route map for achieving our vision to double the number of new homes to 8,000, making the best use of brownfield land to significantly meet our borough’s housing needs while creating well-designed neighbourhoods that revitalise our town.”
“We’re investing in infrastructure that matters – a health hub, new secondary school, green spaces and connectivity – while boosting opportunities for local businesses and attracting new investment. It’s also about enhancing what we already have: restoring our historic charm, opening up picturesque riverside settings and improving travel routes.”
