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Swathes of Stockport are part of the green belt, land designated to limit the expansion of distinct urban areas and stop them merging together. Keeping the areas apart is what helps them keep their separate identities, and many people in the borough's towns and villages choose to live there because of access to green spaces. But that could all be about to change because of a new document published by the council. Stockport's draft local plan is a report which outlines the future of development in the borough, including where new houses could be built. To see planning applications; traffic and road diversions and layout changes; and more, visit the Public Notices Portal HERE The council revealed its draft local plan this week, which showed 27 areas of land in the green belt are earmarked for future building. It has caused mixed reactions in the borough, where there are major housing shortages, but also people who want to protect Stockport ’s green areas for future generations. For its part, the council said it wants to build on previously developed land first. Under the Lib Dems who took control of the town hall in May 2022, Stockport council has had a ‘Brownfield first’ approach to housing. This has led to massive regeneration work focused in the town centre, where there is a £1bn scheme under way which includes building 8,000 new homes. But last year, when Labour won the general election, Stockport’s housing targets were nearly doubled. This caused a planned consultation on the draft local plan which was ready at the time to be delayed by the town hall. The situation has left the council in a difficult position. Join our Stockport WhatsApp group HERE Mark Roberts, leader of the council, wrote in his foreword to the new draft local plan that the document was prepared ‘with a very heavy heart’. He wrote: ‘Legally we have had to accept the government’s mandate and authority to direct us to deliver a part of the national housing target it has set, requiring the delivery of almost twice as many homes within Stockport. ‘This has forced us to release Green Belt sites using the Government’s new methodology.’ He continued: ‘As an administration we regret the government’s decision to create a second tier of Green Belt that they call “grey belt”. ‘Many of the sites included in this draft Local Plan should not need to be released for development. ‘We vehemently disagree with this approach, but we are powerless to stop it. ‘We accept our duty to show leadership and comply with our legal obligations.’ High Lane is one of the sites marked for new housing in Stockport’s draft local plan. The village is deep in green belt territory, sitting near the boundary with Cheshire about six miles from the expanding Stockport town centre. Stockport council has allocated a minimum of 1,000 new homes to be built in the village based off Windlehurst Road, just off the A6. It has caused major fears about the future of the community. Daniel Hird, 56, is the owner of Danny’s Deli, on Buxton Road. His business has been based in the village for 32 years. He said: “As we went through Covid we started to realise how important these green spaces are, especially for people who live in flats. “I know houses need to be built, there is a major problem, but for any housing plan there has to be infrastructure before the houses get built, the schools, roads, all these things. “With these homes you could get at least two thousand people, the village just can’t cope with it. “The schools are small and every one is funnelled onto one road, it’s just putting more and more pressure on. Unless we get the infrastructure first, it will be a mess.” The council in its local plan document recognised that ‘all sites’ listed have challenges. Coun Roberts wrote in his foreword to ‘encourage everyone to participate and let the council know what you think about the developments proposed in your area and the broader policies within. ‘If you can identify services and infrastructure that would be needed to make a site sustainable, please give the details.’ The next step in Stockport’s draft local plan is to go to a public consultation, which is where residents can help shape the future of the borough. It is expected that affordable housing will come with the work. The report states that to address ‘significant affordable housing need’ in Stockport, the overall strategic affordable housing target is ‘50 per cent of total provision.’ It means all major housing developments with ten or more homes will be expected to deliver affordable housing on site. With around 9,000 people on Stockport’s housing register, that could make a huge difference to many households. But it has still left some in High Lane and other places worried about whether a rural village is an appropriate location for large housing development. Russ Fairclough, 61, from Merseyside, has lived in High Lane for the last ten years with his wife. He said: “The green spaces are massively important for me, I’ve spent most of my life out and about, walking and camping. We always used to go out and stay out for days in the countryside.” Mr Fairclough is worried about whether the existing roads and services around High Lane are ready for major construction work, and large numbers of people moving to the area should the 1,000 homes be delivered in future. He added: “This road [the A6] is absolutely gridlocked for hours, the noise is constant all day. It just can’t cope with one thousand new homes in one go. “We’ve got one of the best doctor’s surgeries in the country, and the pharmacy is brilliant, but add three to four thousand people that all need a doctor and medical care, and children who need schools, where will they go? “We’ll have more congestion with vehicles coming here, at least 1,500 more cars. In the morning it can take 15 minutes to get down this road, and it’s not long, it’s only about 1.4 miles.” Stockport council’s cabinet team is meeting on Monday, October 27, for an extraordinary meeting to approve launching a public consultation between November 6 and December 21. What happens in the next couple of months could change the future of the borough forever.
