2021 Places for Everyone

Places for Everyone has been put together by Greater Manchester Combined Authority and nine of Greater Manchester’s councils (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside, Trafford, Salford, Wigan).

It will determine the kind of development that takes place across the city-region, maximising the use of brownfield land and urban spaces while protecting Green Belt land from the risk of unplanned development.

It will also ensure all new developments are sustainably integrated into Greater Manchester’s transport network or supported by new infrastructure.

The plan focuses on making the most of our brownfield sites, prioritising redevelopment of town centres and other sustainable locations. It will also help to address the housing crisis and delivering our share of at least 50,000 additional affordable homes.

We have to prove we have enough land available to deliver the homes and jobs people need up until 2037. If we don't, we will have less control over the future shape of our areas, and growth will take place without being properly planned for the benefit of all.

If we get this plan right, we can do it our way and steer development in a way that works for us.

This plan:

• Sets out how the area should develop up to the year 2037.
• Identifies the amount of new development that will come forward across the nine districts, in terms of housing, offices, and industry and warehousing, and the main areas in which this will be focused.
• Identifies the important environmental assets across the conurbation which will be protected and enhanced.
• Allocates sites for employment and housing outside of the urban area.
• Supports the delivery of key infrastructure, such as transport and utilities.
• Defines a new Green Belt boundary

Places for Everyone was developed after Stockport Council decided last year to withdraw from the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF).

Following this the nine remaining Greater Manchester councils agreed to continue to progress a Joint Development Plan Document for themselves – known as Places for Everyone.

The plan has been produced using the evidence from drafts of the GMSF, as well as the views that were gathered as part of previous consultations.

The first draft of the Spatial Framework, published in 2016, saw more than 27,000 residents in Greater Manchester provide feedback. In the second round of consultation in 2019, more than 17,500 people, businesses and community organisations responded.

Following this consultation, the plan will be submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government in January 2022.

Following the withdrawal of Stockport from the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework the remaining nine Greater Manchester authorities - Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan – have prepared a joint development plan document known as Places for Everyone.

We’ve now published the document that we’d like to put forward as the final plan. This means that we have reached the statutory consultation stage known as Regulation 19.

The consultation asks whether the plan, meets something referred to as the ‘tests of soundness’. These include whether the plan promotes economic growth and makes provision for development; whether it is backed up by robust evidence; whether the plans are based on effective and achievable policies; and whether they are consistent with policies at a national level.

Members of the public will also be asked whether the nine local authorities have provided the necessary evidence and complied with the requirements arising from the duty to co-operate, which places a duty on local planning authorities to engage constructively with one another to maximise the effectiveness of local plans.

Finally, we are asking if the plan is ‘legally compliant’. What all three of these terms mean and how to respond to them is explained throughout the consultation.

A guidance note has been prepared to help you complete your consultation response, this can be found on the GMCA webpages.