Extension granted for Stockport local plan
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has agreed to push the council’s deadline for submitting its local plan back a month but has threatened further intervention if there are more delays.
The minister, using the secretary of state’s intervention powers, had initially ordered Stockport Council to submit a new local plan for government examination by 30 November.
This intervention was merited, Pennycook noted in 2025, because Stockport had failed to carry out the regulation 18 consultation of the plan by the May 2025 target he had put in place for all local authorities in England. Regulation 18 consultation seeks feedback on shaping the local plan.
Pennycook had also mandated that regulation 19 consultation should be completed by 1 September 2026. This consultation is dedicated towards evaluating a finalised draft of the plan for legal compliance.
Stockport Council chief executive Michael Cullen wrote to the minister in June seeking a non-fixed deadline for the completion of the regulation 19 consultation and for an extension the submission of the local plan for examination.
In response, Pennycook changed the deadlines for both. A regulation 19 consultation must start no later than 1 October now, rather than complete by 1 September.
The submission deadline for examination was moved from 30 November to 31 December.
“I will be asking my officials to liaise with you on this matter on a regular basis and to provide me with updates on your progress,” Pennycook wrote in a letter to the council.
“Should you fail to comply with the direction in this letter, or should you delay progress of your emerging draft plan in relation to the amended LDS milestones, I will consider whether I need to take any further intervention action,” he continued.
“I can revisit my decision to direct your council at any time if I consider this is justified.”
In a statement, cabinet member for housing and environment Cllr Jake Austin said: “We welcome the minister’s decision to amend the previous direction relating to Stockport’s local plan, which now provides an updated timetable and brings us in line with deadlines nationally.
“We remain focused on delivering the best local plan we can that supports sustainable growth, new homes, jobs and infrastructure across the borough.”
The initial draft of the new local plan included the release of 26 sites from the Green Belt, which have the capacity to deliver up to 8,965 homes. Read that draft local plan.
Stockport’s last local plan was adopted in 2011.
This is a bit odd as it doesn’t say a great deal about why the previous ministerial direction has been extended. The letter references viability, I would imagine the council has evidence which says that development is unviable and has asked for more time to make changes to the plan, so it isn’t asking for anything that development won’t be able to afford. If development is unviable in Stockport, bearing in mind how much of their local plan development is proposed on greenfield sites in very affluent, high value areas, then that’s a pretty good sign of how the global economy is impacting things locally. Has a feel of late 2007 to it… which isn’t a good thing.
By Anonymous
More embarrassment for the local authority that can’t be bothered to plan. Even Rochdale and Oldham have a better record. That tells you everything.
By Peter
There’s a great danger that Stockport, heritage could be destroyed by the wrong type of development. We are already seeing this with the construction of ugly tower blocks that obscure the viaduct. Old mills can and should be repurposed, but this doesn’t need to destroy Stockport s heritage and indiviality
By Anonymous
The plan to build 9000 houses on green belt around some, but not all, of Stockport s neighbourhoods, as well as another 8000 flats in the town centre. This area is heavily developed especially since the inter war years. Bringing a 20% increase in population with no provision for schools. Health, roads.
And it’s not even across the area, certain areas appear to be protected from the builders.
By Steveh
A ‘non-fixed deadline’ is an oxymoron. I can’t decide if this is some form of inter governmental trolling or they actually use that as a term and believe it to be true. If it’s the latter then it would certainly help explain why the last local plan was published fifteen years ago.
By Bramhall Resident
Steveh – Stockport current population is ageing, the Borough desperately needs to bring in young economically active people. The town centre flats are attracting lots of young people who are spending money in the centre supporting shops, bars, cafes and pubs. Anyone who was at the town centre Stockparty over the weekend knows that this is a successful strategy.
By Anonymous
‘Bramhall resident’ would do well to worry less about the reported language that has, in any event, resulted in a fixed deadline in the minister’s letter and more about those that Bramhall residents have elected over the years, at local and national level. Readers of these pages have been regularly reminded about why Stockport is where it is…
By Neither Washington nor Moscow
I guess in retrospect as Manchester continued it’s growth trajectory it was going to the South of GM (and Salford) that was going to get the spill-over effects first. The idea that you could regenerate and densify the centre of Stockport and leave to suburbs and greenbelt untouched was never going to work. The new plan is reality check and it’ll be a bigger and better place for it.
By Rich X
Love Stockport’s regen. Let it continue!
By Yay
@July 06, 2026 at 12:55 pm
By Rich X
I’d suggest reading the work of Create Streets who may beg to differ on much of that.
By Rye