The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive, the purpose of which was to approve the Oldham Local Plan: Publication Plan for publication and consultation.
The report advised that following its adoption in March 2024 the Places for Everyone Joint Plan (PfE) now formed part of Oldham’s Local Plan. PfE set the strategic policies for the Borough, but there is still a need for local policies that support the implementation of PfE across Oldham and to deliver the Council’s regeneration objectives and priorities.
The Government are in the process of reforming the current system for preparing Local Plans. In the meantime, for plans progressing to adoption under the current plan-making legal framework (which includes the review of the Oldham Local Plan) there was a requirement for these to be submitted for examination by 31st December 2026.
The Oldham Local Plan was therefore being prepared under The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulation 2012 (‘the Regulations’). There were various stages in the production of a Local Plan and Oldham Council was at Regulation 19 (or the Publication Plan) stage.
Thie submitted report sought approval of the Oldham Local Plan: Publication Plan for publication and consultation, pursuant to Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 for a six-week period for representations to begin no earlier than 28 January 2026. The ‘Publication Plan’ stage was a formal ‘statutory’ consultation that provided an opportunity for organisations, and individuals, to submit their final views on the content of the Plan.
Following consultation the Publication Plan, representations received, and other relevant supporting documentation, would be sent to the Secretary of State. This was called the ‘Submission stage’, pursuant to Regulation 22 and requires approval at Council. A separate report seeking approval to submit the Publication Plan for examination will be brought to Council, around May/June 2026.
Options/Alternatives considered:
Option 1 (preferred Option): that the Cabinet approves the Oldham Local Plan: Publication Plan, Policies Map and supporting documentation for publication and consultation as per the recommendations in the report. The advantages are that this will ensure that the Council has in place an up-to-date Local Plan in place that supports implementation of PfE at a Borough-wide level and provides a planning policy framework to enable delivery of the Council’s regeneration ambitions and Building a Better Oldham, whilst meeting requirements of national planning policy and regulations. There were no reported disadvantages to pursuing Option 1.
Option 2: that the Cabinet does not approve the Oldham Local Plan: Publication Plan, Policies Map and supporting documentation for publication and consultation as per the recommendations in the report. There were no reported advantages to pursuing this Option. The disadvantages, in not approving the Plan, were that the Council would not be able to progress preparation of the Local Plan to the next stage. Without 12 an up-to-date Local Plan in place the Council would be reliant on the existing Core Strategy (elements of which are out of date) and the high-level Greater Manchester -wide policies in Places for Everyone when making decisions on planning applications for the foreseeable future. The Council would not have the benefit of the positive planning framework set out in the Publication Plan that supports implementation of PfE at a Borough-wide level whilst enabling deliver of our Council regeneration ambitions and priorities.
In considering the report the Cabinet’s members were mindful that the report had been considered by the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board, at its recent meeting on 12th January 2026, where the recommendations in the report were supported and endorsed and which the Cabinet was asked to approve.
Resolved:
That the Cabinet:
1. Approves the Oldham Local Plan: Publication Plan, Policies Map and supporting documentation for publication and consultation, pursuant to Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 for a six-week period for representations to begin no earlier than 28 January 2026.
2. Delegates authority to the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, in consultation with the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive, to approve the Statement of Common Ground required pursuant to the National Planning Policy Framework.
3. Delegates authority to the Assistant Director Planning, Transport and Housing Delivery to make any minor non-material amendments to the Oldham Local Plan: Publication Plan, Policies Map and supporting documentation ahead of its publication and consultation (these amendments will be limited to correcting minor errors and formatting text).
4. Notes that following consideration by the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board on 12th January 2026, the report is exempt from call-in, under Rule 14 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules in the Council’s Constitution.