Stockport Council Leader to stand down

Cllr Mark Hunter will relinquish the position he has held for the last three years in May.

Liberal Democrat Mark Hunter became Leader of Stockport Council for the second time in May 2022, taking over from Labour’s Elise Wilson following the local elections held that month.

He also served as Leader between 2002 and 2005, before a 10-year stint in Whitehall as MP for Cheadle.

Hunter, who has been a public servant for 45 years, will continue to serve as a councillor when he steps down as Leader in May, a couple of months shy of his 68th birthday.

“Serving the people of Stockport has been a great privilege,” he said.

“After careful consideration, I have decided that this is the right time for me to pass on responsibility for leading the Council to the next generation.

“I would like to thank colleagues across the council past and present, partners and councillors from all parties who work tirelessly to ensure our borough has such a well-run local authority.”

Although he took the reins after the council had already voted to pull out of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, Hunter’s tenure will be remembered for a hard-line brownfield-first approach in the aftermath of that decision.

This has resulted in criticism from his political rivals who say opting to delay the creation of a new local plan has given developers in the borough the upper hand.

Meanwhile, Hunter’s three-year reign has also coincided with a regeneration boom in Stockport town centre. The Mayoral Development Corporation was set up in 2018 to drive the redevelopment of the west of the town centre and the last three years has seen much of that work come to fruition, particularly with the completion of Stockport Interchange and appointment of ECF to deliver the 1,200-home Stockport 8.

Hunter’s replacement will be appointed at May’s annual council meeting. Cllr Mark Roberts is currently deputy leader.