Greater Manchester Spatial Framework is “dead in the water”

Liberal Democrats at Stockport Town Hall have declared the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework to be “dead in the water” at a meeting of the full Council last night. Speaking at the meeting Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said given the decision of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to postpone the next round of consultation until after the May 2020 local elections the controversial issue had effectively been “kicked in to the long grass”.

Cllr Hunter called for much greater emphasis to be placed on Stockport Council’s own Local Plan and demanded more urgent progress be made. He said “while Liberal Democrats recognise the need for more low cost homes in Stockport, we need the right homes in the right places. Accepting the case for new housing is not the same thing as giving licence to concrete over the countryside”.

The Liberal Democrats have twice attempted to persuade Stockport Council to disengage from the whole GMSF process but were defeated by a combination of Labour and Conservative councillor’s voting together.

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Hunter said “it is increasingly clear that GMSF is going nowhere fast and the current Leader of this Council has no mandate to support it in its current form. With the position of the remaining Conservative councillors now a matter of great uncertainty, it’s clear that there is no majority in Stockport for GMSF to proceed. It’s time to focus on plan ‘B’ “.

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