The Cabinet of Stockport Council met on Monday 27 October 2025 to discuss and approve the Stockport Local Plan for public consultation. The plan, which has been developed to meet statutory requirements, will be open for public feedback from 6 November to 21 December 2025.

Stockport Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation

The Cabinet approved the emerging draft Stockport Local Plan for public consultation, which will run from 6 November to 21 December 2025. This plan is a requirement under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004¹ and aims to ensure the council maintains an up-to-date local plan. Councillor Mark Roberts, Leader of the Council, expressed gratitude to the council staff and planning officers for their extensive work on the draft, acknowledging that while it wasn't the council's preferred version, it was necessary due to government mandates on housing targets and Greenbelt release. He emphasised that the plan requires the delivery of almost twice as many homes within Stockport, which necessitates the release of Greenbelt land using the government's methodology. Councillor Roberts encouraged residents to participate in the consultation, stating that contributions would have the most chance of shaping changes, which might be possible in the future versions.

Councillor Jake Austin, Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment, echoed the thanks to officers and highlighted the importance of the public consultation to ensure residents' voices are heard. He confirmed that the consultation process would be accessible, with in-person events, documents available in public buildings like libraries, and an online portal. He also mentioned that local plan surgeries would be held in libraries, where planning officers would be available to answer questions. Councillor Austin explained that this is the Regulation 18 consultation, which will be followed by Regulation 19, allowing for further development of the plan based on consultation feedback, specifically focusing on infrastructure and community needs for individual sites.

Councillor Micheala Meikle, Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Skills, praised the document as fabulous and sought clarification on how the consultation would feed into the plan. She stressed the importance of remaining robust when we're looking at infrastructure and making sure that we push for that and holding developers accountable. She also expressed a desire to keep the character of Stockport, hoping that the council's work on design coding and urban design would be reflected in future developments.

Councillor Helen Foster-Grime, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care, described the consultation as one of the most important consultations that I've known as an elected councillor. She emphasised the need to avoid digital exclusion and ensure accessibility for all residents, particularly older and vulnerable people. She asked for examples of consultation venues, and Councillor Austin confirmed that workshops would be held prior to area committee meetings, citing Marple Civic Hall as a potential venue. He also confirmed that planning officers would be present at libraries to assist residents.

The Cabinet agreed to approve the consultation on the emerging draft Local Plan and the accompanying documents under Regulation 18. They also delegated authority to the Assistant Director of Placemaking and Planning, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment, to make minor amendments to the draft plan and policies map before the consultation begins. These minor amendments could include correcting typographical errors or updating references to supporting documents.