Welcome to Greater Manchester’s consultation hub

Stockport’s Town Centre West has the potential to be a new urban village of up to 3,000 new homes with complementary mixed use development and the social infrastructure required to support a significant increase in the residential population.  Our proposal to create a Mayoral Development Corporation to lead the regeneration of the area came about in response to the Mayor’s Town Centre Challenge and our urgent need to maximise the potential of brownfield sites to accommodate more housing in light of GM Spatial Framework.  The MDC proposal also responds to Stockport Council’s Town Centre Living agenda which looks to redefine Stockport’s residential offer for existing and future communities and make the town centre a residential destination of choice. 

The consultation on the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation and associated proposals closed March 10, 2019 after an eight week period of public consultation.

During the consultation we asked a number of stakeholders, including local residents their views on a number of areas. Including –

• Whether or not the development of a Mayoral Development Corporation would be the best way to drive forward long-term regeneration for Stockport’s Town Centre West
• Whether or not the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation for the Town Centre West could lead to regeneration and improvements across the rest of Stockport Town Centre as a whole
• Whether or not respondents felt that the proposed boundary of the Mayoral Development Corporation was appropriate
• Whether people thought the name ‘Stockport Town Centre West Mayoral Development Corporation’ is an appropriate name for this MDC.
• Whether people thought that the Mayoral Development Corporation should not have any planning functions in relation to granting discretionary rate relief.

We did a number of things during the consultation to help to promote it and make sure that the right people had the opportunity to contribute. This included –

• Letters to 530 local residents and businesses in the area
• Promotion of the consultation through Greater Manchester Combined Authorities communication networks; monthly newsletter to over 4,000 local residents, groups and organisations and social media posts.
• Promotion of the consultation on Stockport Council’s website and social media
• Specific invites to respond to key consultees including MPs across Greater Manchester, Homes England, Environment Agency, Historic England, Network Rail, and Highways England

The consultation received 205 responses, 88.73% of which came from Stockport residents.  11 organisations responded to the consultation representing a variety of sectors and interests including the voluntary sector. 

The overall consultation response to the proposed MDC was very positive.  78% of people either agreed or strongly agreed that the MDC was the best way to drive forward long term regeneration and 81% agreed that the MDC would support and improve Stockport town centre as a whole.   

60% of respondents agreed that the proposed boundary for the Mayoral Development Corporation was appropriate and 47% agreed or strongly agreed with our proposal for planning powers and powers over discretionary business rate relief to remain with Stockport Council.  Only 21% of respondents wanted to see planning and business rates powers granted to the MDC and but 36 comments from respondents argued that our proposals should go further, particularly in terms of the area the proposed MDC should cover.

The consultation responses were analysed and the overwhelmingly positive response informed the Mayor’s decision to proceed with the creation of a MDC in Stockport.  A report summarising the consultation exercise and result was submitted to Greater Manchester Combined Authority on March 29^th recommending that GMCA consider the proposed MDC.  No objections were received from the members of GMCA (which includes the Leader of Stockport Council) and the Mayor then notified the Secretary of State of his intention to proceed and asked Government to prepare the legislation required to formally create the MDC as an independent statutory organisation that will lead regeneration efforts.

In parallel with the formal legal process to create the MDC, Stockport Council (as the Local Planning Authority for the Mayoral Development area) is working up a Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) which will set out in detail how we think the area could be transformed over the long term to become Greater Manchester’s newest, greenest, and coolest affordable urban neighbourhood.  The regeneration framework is currently being finalised and will be published for public consultation over the summer to ensure that all stakeholders in the area have the opportunity to see, comment on, and influence the vision and the type of development that comes forward in the area. 

We asked people across Greater Manchester to tell us about the role and impacts of alcohol in their communities.

We know that alcohol-related harm is costing Greater Manchester’s public services over £1.3bn a year – the equivalent of £500 for every resident. And beyond the visible impacts, hidden harms are experienced by more people of all ages and backgrounds than is commonly recognised.

But alcohol plays an important part in our region’s close communities and vibrant towns and cities. Our night life is celebrated around the world. The vast majority of people who drink enjoy doing so safely and responsibly.

This was not looking into people’s individual behaviour. We wanted to find out what residents and businesses understand about the scale and nature of alcohol harm in our city region, and how – and indeed if – things should change when it comes to the way we drink.

Through broad engagement with the public, and targeted activities with more than 80 local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, more than 5000 people joined in the Big Alcohol Conversation.

We are now analysing everyone’s contributions, through our online surveys, one-to-one interviews and focus groups.

What is immediately clear is that people see a wide range of issues linked to alcohol in their local areas, from crime and anti-social behaviour to homelessness to personal health issues. There is support for more action to tackle these impacts, and low awareness for measures already in place.

Watch this space…

Later this year we will reveal the full results of our Big Alcohol Conversation, alongside the launch of a Greater Manchester ‘Ambition for Alcohol’. This will be our statement of intent, co-designed by people across the city region.

Our ambition will set out how we could do things differently – whether through developing new policies or inspiring social change. And how together we could realise our vision for Greater Manchester as a place where everyone can have the best start in life, live well and age well, protected from the harms caused by alcohol.

We asked people whether they agreed with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s proposal to raise the policing element of council tax by £24 per household over the course of the year.

This proposed funding would be used to:

Increase the police force by recruiting at least 320 officers; this would include:

• 220 neighbourhood police officers
• 50 police officers dedicated to policing the transport network
• 50 police officers to create a proactive forcewide team

Continue to improve the 101 service

Tackle serious and violent crimeTackle violence against women and girls

Increase, for 2019/20, the amount of funding allocated to the local authorities for community safety initiatives. 

There were more than 850 responses to the consultation on GM Consult.

Feedback included:

• 59% support the proposal of a £24 increase of council tax – or believe it should be increased by more than £24 over the year
• 63% support the proposal to recruit 320 police officers

Additional comments include support for recruiting warranted police officers, not PCSOs, and a desire for an increase in visible police presence in neighbourhoods.

The proposal was presented at a special meeting of GMCA on 15 February 2019 by Deputy Mayor, Bev Hughes. The proposal, to increase the policing element of the council tax by £24, has been backed by the Police and Crime Panel.

The report and minutes from the Police and Crime Panel can be accessed here: https://www.gmcameetings.co.uk/meetings/meeting/645/police_and_crime_panel

The press release announcing the increase is available here: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/news/greater-manchester-communities-to-benefit-from-additional-police-officers/