The Cabinet Member (Resources and Regulation) submitted a report seeking approval for the delegation of the formulation and preparation of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) to the AGMA Executive Board and to agree to authorise updates to the AGMA constitution to reflect this.
The report also sought approval to withdraw the Core Strategy as the move towards a joint Development Plan Document (DPD) for Greater Manchester progresses.
The AGMA Executive Board (29 August 2015) had agreed to the GMSF being produced as a statutory DPD that would principally seek to identify future housing and employment floor space requirements and associated infrastructure for each district within Greater Manchester. The Joint GM Combined Authority and AGMA Executive Board meeting (24 November) approved the necessary measures and actions to be undertaken by each GM district to formally approve the preparation of the GMSF as a statutory DPD and subsequently take the document forward to adoption.
The Council meeting (28 January 2015) approved the making of the agreement for the joint preparation of the GMSF to cover housing and employment land requirements and associated infrastructure across Greater Manchester as a joint DPD.
Delegated decisions:
1. That the decision of Council (28 January 2015) to approve the making of an agreement with the other 9 Greater Manchester councils to prepare jointly the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework to cover housing and employment land requirements and associated infrastructure across Greater Manchester (as set out in Appendix 1 of the report submitted) as a joint development plan document be noted.
2. That delegated authority be given to the AGMA Executive Board for the formulating and preparing of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework to cover housing and employment land requirements and associated infrastructure across Greater Manchester insofar as such matters are executive functions.
3. That it be noted that the following are the sole responsibility of the Council:
§ Responsibility for giving of instructions to the executive to reconsider the draft plan submitted by the executive for the authority’s consideration;
§ The amendment of the draft GMSF plan document submitted by the executive for the Council’s consideration;
§ The approval for the purpose of its submission to the Secretary of State or Minister of the Crown for their approval of the GMSF, if required;
§ The approval of the GMSF document for the purposes of submission to the Secretary of State for independent examination;
§ The adoption of the GMSF.
4. That approval be given to authorise the amendment of Paragraph 13.2 (Schedule 1) to the AGMA constitution by deleting the words ‘initially in terms of Waste and Minerals Planning‘.
5. That approval be given to the withdrawal of Bury’s Core Strategy and for work to commence on a new Local Plan that can be developed alongside those of other GM districts and the GMSF in a coordinated way.
Reasons for the decision:
1. To ensure that Greater Manchester’s aspirations for growth are formally supported by a statutory DPD and to address the policy void that has arisen from the revocation of the North West Regional Spatial Strategy in providing a framework within which the GM districts can prepare their own local plans.
2. To enable the Council to develop a single Local Plan alongside other GM districts and in accordance with the emerging GMSF.
Other option considered and rejected:
To reject or amend the recommendations.