Issue - meetings

A report from the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth is attached.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth, presented the report which provided further details on the next steps in relation to the joint plan of the nine GM districts, to be known as ‘Places for Everyone’. In order to progress this plan, a new Joint Committee of the nine districts (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan) was proposed to be established, with delegated authority to formulate and prepare the ‘Places for Everyone’ Joint Development Plan Document (DPD).

In response to Members’ questions, the Leader advised that by working with other GM districts there was more scope to push housing allocation from greenbelt to brownfield sites. He also advised that it was too early to say what the development plan would propose, and that this report focussed on the establishment of a joint committee to consider those matters.

Decision:

1.   Approve the making of an agreement with the other 8 Greater Manchester councils [Bolton, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan] to prepare a joint development plan document to cover strategic policies including housing and employment land requirements and, as appropriate, strategic site allocations and Green Belt boundary amendments and associated infrastructure across the nine districts.

2.   Delegate to the Joint Committee of the nine Greater Manchester councils the formulation and preparation of the joint development plan document to cover housing and employment land requirements including, as appropriate, strategic site allocations and Green Belt boundary amendments and associated infrastructure across the nine Greater Manchester districts insofar as such matters are executive functions.

3.   Agree that the Leader of the Council be the lead Member for the joint committee and that the Deputy Leader of the Council be the nominated deputy to attend and vote as necessary.

4.   Note that the following are the sole responsibility of full Council:

o   Responsibility for giving of instructions to the Cabinet to reconsider the draft plan submitted by the Cabinet for the Council’s consideration.

o   The amendment of the draft joint development plan document submitted by the Cabinet for the full Council’s consideration.

o   The approval of the joint development plan document for the purposes of submission to the Secretary of State for independent examination.

o   The adoption of the joint development plan document.

5.   Delegate to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth the power to make minor amendments to the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement to reflect the new joint plan-making arrangements in Greater Manchester.

6.   Note that the Council’s Local Development Scheme will be amended by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth under existing delegated powers to reflect the new joint plan-making arrangements in Greater Manchester.

Reasons for the decision:

Approval to establish the new Joint Committee is a decision for each district according to their own Constitutional arrangements and approval to delegate the formulation and preparation of the Joint DPD to that committee is a Cabinet function.

Other options considered and rejected:

Discussions with the nine authorities indicate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39