Agenda item

Councillor Roberts MOVED and Councillor Fielding SECONDED a report which sought approval to the arrangements necessary to formulate and prepare the joint development plan document (DPD) ‘Places for Everyone’, including the establishment of a joint committee to represent Oldham Council and the eight other GM districts (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan).

Members were informed that, on 11 December 2020, following the withdrawal of Stockport Council from the production of the Greater Manchester Plan for Jobs, Homes & the Environment (the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework), the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) Executive Board had agreed in principle to the a joint Development Plan Document (DPD) for the nine remaining Greater Manchester (GM) districts, to cover strategic policies including housing and employment land requirements and, as appropriate, strategic site allocations and Green Belt boundary amendments and associated infrastructure.

A report was taken to AGMA Executive Board on 12th February 2021 setting out the next steps in relation to the Joint DPD of the nine GM districts, to be known as ‘Places for Everyone’, including the required decisions by individual Districts to initiate this process as set out in the recommendations in the report.

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

A recorded vote was requested by Councillor Sykes and agreed.

Councillor Sykes, Councillor Curley and Councillor Sheldon spoke against the recommendations.

A recorded vote was then taken on the recommendations as follows:

On a recorded VOTE being taken, 41 VOTES were cast in

FAVOUR of the RECOMMENDATIONS with 12 cast AGAINST and 0

ABSTENTIONS.

RESOLVED that:

1.    The making of an agreement with the other 8 Greater Manchester councils (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, 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 be approved.

2.    It be agreed that Oldham Council’s lead Member for the joint committee be Leader of the Council and that the Cabinet Member for Housing be nominated as deputy, to attend and vote as necessary.

3.    It be noted that the Cabinet would be asked to delegate the formulation and preparation of the draft joint development plan document to a joint committee of the nine GM authorities.

4.    It be noted that a further report would be brought to full Council seeking approval to submit the joint development plan document to the Secretary of State for independent examination.

5.    It be recommended that the Cabinet

                      i.        Note that full Council has approved the making of an agreement with the other 8 Greater Manchester councils (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, 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.

                    ii.        Delegate to a 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.

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

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

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

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

d. The adoption of the joint development plan document.