A town hall chief has hit out after coming under fire following a decision to put a long-term housing plan on hold for a second time. Stockport council leader Mark Hunter says the decision to ‘pause’ a public consultation on the borough’s emerging Local Plan was taken after ‘considerable thought’ and cross-party discussions.
It comes after Labour accused the Lib Dem administration of a ‘dereliction of duty’ following last week’s announcement. While accepting talks were held beforehand they insist it was not a ‘collective decision’. Stockport is pursuing its own long-term plan for jobs and homes after dropping out of the Greater Manchester ‘Places for Everyone’ strategy back in 2020 - largely due to the then Lib Dem opposition voting to go it alone.
A public consultation was due to be launched at the end of the month having already stalled once - under Labour - after the government hinted councils could get ‘greater leeway’ over the number of homes they need to build each year. But the Lib Dems opted to push it back again, to await 'clarity' on planning policy once a new prime minister - since confirmed as Liz Truss - was in place.
READ MORE : Stockport's long-term housing strategy delayed again as chiefs await 'clarity' from new PM
