Stockport Council’s finance head says Labour government has “left Stockport behind” with its financial settlement whilst describing engagement with ministers as “staggering”.
Last evening, Stockport Councillors voted to pass through a balanced budget, which despite financial pressure protected leisure centres, libraries and care services for the most vulnerable.
Deputy Leader of the council, and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, Cllr Jilly Julian, said
“We have been consistently let down by the government’s lack of clarity over funding, only to see their delayed finance settlement confirm that they intend to leave Stockport behind. We have once again been omitted from the recovery grant by 0.01%, meaning we have missed out on millions of pounds worth of support by a whisker, all while ministers have ignored our lobbying. It is staggering.”
“However, we are proud that we have published a responsible, balanced budget. It’s one that protects vital services such as social care, highways, libraries and our green spaces. We are especially happy that through collaborative local working, we have enabled upgrades and repairs to play equipment in parks across our borough.”
“While we have not received the funding that we need from central government, we will not shy away from making difficult decisions to ensure responsible financial management that continues our momentum. Despite all the challenges, Stockport is on the up and we’re proud to advocate for our borough.”
Success for Older and Disabled Persons’ Bus Passes
Further to the previous story, Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of the Council and of the Liberal Democrats at Stockport Town Hall, said: “Success! I am very pleased to say that we have been successful in getting a commitment to action from the Mayor to extended the older and disabled persons’ bus passes across Greater Manchester from 1st March so that buses can be used before 9.30am with the pass . This will help so many people and contribute to tackling congestion on our roads. Liberal Democrat national policy being put in place across Greater Manchester.”
Liberal Democrats call on Mayor Burnham to “step up” and abolish bus pass limits
Liberal Democrats are calling on the Greater Manchester Mayor to step in where National Governments of the past have failed and extend bus pass hours for elderly and disabled transport users.
Bus passes for elderly or disabled residents are only valid between 09:30 and 23:00, meaning those who’s working hours, hospital appointments and more demand they travel outside of the window, have to pay the full fare to travel. It’s also drawn criticism for causing added congestion, as pass users are more likely to bunch around the opening and closing of the window, while others could be excluded from cultural offerings later in the evening.
Cllr Roberts, alongside the Liberal Democrat MPs for Cheadle and Hazel Grove, Tom Morrison and Lisa Smart, have written to Mayor Burnham listing out the compelling case for lifting this unnecessary restriction on bus passes.
Draft Local Plan published ahead of consultation starting next month
Overnight the latest version of the draft Local Plan was published ahead of council scrutiny and cabinet meetings.
Speaking after the papers were published, Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of the Council and of the Liberal Democrats at Stockport Town Hall said: “In July 2024, the Stockport Liberal Democrats published a local plan that delivered the right homes in the right places, using only brownfield sites. It was a plan that protected our greenbelt whilst revitalising tired, previously developed land- it was something I was proud to advocate for. Since that plan was published, the Labour Government have doubled the number of houses we must deliver and removed protections from a third of our Green Belt as they continue to remove the opportunity for local voices to have a say over their area.
“When I look at the nature across Stockport, I appreciate it’s beauty and the health benefits it brings, we do not walk through our Green Belt in awe of the legal classification it was given by Westminster. Repackaging our Green Belt so developers can make a profit says everything we need to know about this Labour Government, and residents will rightly be outraged.
“We vehemently oppose this Government’s Developers Charter they keep pursuing. However, they have imposed a legal duty upon the council to deliver it, as the alternative to our co-operation is a developer led free-for-all, which would remove any remaining protection or say we have in the future of our area. We have already received public letters from the Housing Minister forcing us to move forward with their agenda.
“To be clear, Stockport Liberal Democrats oppose the Government’s reckless targets and underhand classifications, changing our Green Belt by the back door. We further oppose the centralised way in which they have directed it. We are also frustrated by their lack of interest in building infrastructure to support the thousands of new homes these plans will see built.
“The Local Plan is due for its first stage of consultation from 6th November- 21st December 2025. It is published for scrutiny with a very heavy heart. We encourage residents to feedback through the consultation and have their say. It’s an opportunity to express concern or support for sites and policies, and to call on the Government to fund better infrastructure for existing and future residents, to fund the building of genuinely affordable homes, and to stop capitulating to corporate developer firms that lobby hard in Westminster.
“The fight for what is right for our communities continues. I will continue to make the argument to Government that their housing targets are too high for Stockport and that their disregard for Green Belt is not shared by our community. The Liberal Democrats will also continue to fight for the funding we need to be able to deliver the additional social housing we need in the right places, along with support for the infrastructure mass development will require, such as GPs, dentists, schools and roads.”
Formal response to ministerial direction re Local Plan
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.
Stockport Lib Dems respond to government intervention over Local Plan
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.”