Stockport Council updates draft local plan to include Green Belt release

Stockport Council has updated its draft local plan, a spatial development framework intended to guide housing and employment use through 2042. The latest version aims to enable the delivery of 24,253 homes, though this figure remains significantly lower than the identified total housing need of 32,317 homes.

To meet these targets, the council has determined that the release of Green Belt land is unavoidable. The draft plan proposes removing approximately 30 sites from the Green Belt, which currently accounts for 46% of the borough’s land. While the council sought to minimize this impact, documents indicate that only 15,519 homes can be accommodated within existing urban areas or through existing permissions.

The updated draft includes several site adjustments. Three sites—Brookfield Business Park, land at Chadwick Street in Marple, and land at Houldsworth Golf Club—were removed from housing allocation following viability examinations. These were replaced by new sites in Hazel Grove, Occupiers Lane, and Heald Green. Additionally, the allocated floorspace for Bredbury Gateway has been reduced from 807,300 sq ft to 538,200 sq ft.