Author: stockportlibdems

Further to the letter received last week from the housing minister, below is the formal response from Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of the Council and of the Liberal Democrats at Stockport Town Hall.

As Leader of Stockport Council, Cllr Mark Roberts received a letter from government last night advising him of their decision to intervene due to what they describe as “failing to progress” our Local Plan.

The letter can be read here. (This link takes you to the MHCLG website.)

Responding to this letter, Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of the Council and of the Liberal Democrats at Stockport Town Hall, said:

“The government’s intervention into our work on the Local Plan should ring alarm bells for all those who value the Green Belt.

“We are committed to building the right homes in the right places through sustainable development. Our administration published a draft Local Plan in 2024 that delivered exactly this across our brownfield sites, before this Labour government then threw the baby out with the bathwater, doubled our housing target and forced us to go back to the drawing board. At the same time they removed Green Belt protections by the back door and tied local councillors hands behind their backs in standing up against the big developers.

“Our officers have been working diligently to deliver a Local Plan, despite the delays and changes both the Conservative and Labour governments have thrown at us. This work will continue, but it is clear that the government has not just moved the goalposts but changed the game entirely. Having created a developers’ charter it is now forcing its agenda on Stockport to concrete over the Green Belt, no matter the consequences for our community. Residents should rightly be outraged by the Government. I certainly am.”

Cllr Jake Austin, Cabinet Member for Housing & Environment, added:

“We take our responsibility to deliver a Local Plan for Stockport seriously, and the timeline set by this government’s intervention falls in line with the work we have been undertaking over the last six months.

“As Liberal Democrats, our approach on the Local Plan has always been to deliver a balance of the housing we need in the borough, while protecting the Green Belt sites that our residents deeply care about. This government intervention makes it clear that Labour do not care about that balance.”

Stockport Council is calling on the Labour Government to reform the way local government is funded, to prevent councils up and down the country from succumbing to bankruptcy. The call comes as Stockport is reporting a forecasted budget deficit of £8.8 million this financial year, due predominantly to the growing pressures in adult social care and children’s services.

Cllr Jilly Julian, Deputy Leader of Stockport Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, said: “Work is well underway to resolve the outturn position, with no stone left unturned as we look to maximise controls on spending and find potential savings. The fact of the matter is, however, that funding from government is simply nowhere near enough to meet the rising costs of delivering essential care services for our residents.

“We are grateful that we are in a far more secure position than other local authorities, and we will continue to balance the books and live within our means. Stockport is a council that is well known in the sector for its robust financial management, and one that can make the tough decisions to ensure sustainability and resilience.

“We are consistently disappointed by government’s refusal to be bold and properly reform local government finance. For 17 years councils have been forced to provide more statutory services with less money – there comes a point where there are no more efficiencies to make. There are services that both legally and morally, we must provide, yet the financial position the government is putting us in is simply untenable.”

The Local Government Association’s (LGA) analysis indicates that councils face a £2.3 billion funding gap in 2025/26, which could rise to £3.9 billion in 2026/27. These pressures are driven by escalating costs in children’s and adults social care, with no sign of radical support or reform on the horizon. MHCLG cannot continue to lean on council tax-payers to fund statutory, demand-led services.

Cllr Julian added: “Despite rising financial pressures for councils across the country, government has provided Stockport with negligible extra funding, whilst inflation continues to rise. The new funding formulas have no consideration for what kind of support a heavily polarised borough like ours needs. We once again call on the government to show some ambition and meaningfully reform local government finance, taxation, and social care, before it is too late.”

Following a large number of recent enquiries from local residents and a motion having been submitted to the next Full Council Meeting, Cllr Jilly Julian, Cabinet Member representing Stockport on the GM Pension Fund Management Committee, has sent two letters to the GM Pension Fund asking a series of questions regarding Ethical Investments and about Carbon Emissions.

She said: “With such intense public interest from residents and GMPF Members, it felt like the right time to be asking these questions regarding key governance principles around ethical investment, and also revisiting a commitment that was made relating to carbon emissions.

“Regarding ethical investments, my questions relate to the level of exposure of the fund’s existing investments, what criteria and due diligence are in place that constitute ethical screening, and what future commitments there are to review, and what events might bring that point forward.

“A specific commitment was made in 2021 to halve carbon emissions within the decade, and yet is no longer referenced explicitly. I’m keen to know whether that commitment still stands, what progress has been made towards it, and how we, across GM, could go further and faster to achieve it.”

The letters can be read below.

These are straightforward questions that reflect interests across Stockport, and I’m looking forward to the responses.”

Local Liberal Democrats will be out in force this Sunday, demonstrating their support for Stockport Pride, the annual event that allows our LGBTQ+ community and their allies to come together and celebrate everyone’s right to truly be who they are, challenging discrimination and continuing the fight for acceptance and equality.

Speaking ahead of the event, Cllr Jake Austin, Lib Dem Group coordinator of our involvement with Stockport Pride, said: “We are proud to stand with the entire LGBTQ+ community at a time when they face another rise in prejudice and barriers to living life as their genuine selves. We always have a large group of Councillors and activists taking part, all coming together to show our solidarity and support whilst enjoying what is always a really fun day.”

Cllr Dan Oliver, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Public Protection and lead on equality and diversity, added: “Pride is inherently political and its values are core beliefs of Liberal Democrats, who have advocated for LGBTQ+ rights and equality for decades. We will be proud to march with our friends under a party banner, demonstrating our support as we strive to make Stockport a great place that truly welcomes everyone and is only intolerant of intolerance. I encourage everyone to come and enjoy the fun.”

Stockport Pride will be in the marketplace from 11am to 7pm this Sunday, with many events and stalls open through the day. Come and say hello at the Liberal Democrat stall and join in with us during the march.