Places for Everyone plan for new homes, jobs and sustainable growth takes effect

• Places for Everyone plan comes into effect after adoption by nine Greater Manchester local authorities
• Adoption follows extensive public consultation and examination
• Places for Everyone will now form part of the development plan for the nine districts

The Places for Everyone plan for new homes, jobs and sustainable growth across Greater Manchester has now come into effect, and will be used as a blueprint for development across nine boroughs up until 2039.

Wednesday 20 March saw the final set of full council meetings where councillors were asked to adopt the comprehensive joint development plan. Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan have now all resolved to adopt the plan, meaning it comes into effect today.

Places for Everyone is a comprehensive joint development plan of the nine districts to determine the kind of development that takes place in their boroughs, maximising the use of brownfield land and urban spaces while protecting Green Belt land from the risk of unplanned development.

The plan identifies the amount of new development that will come forward across the nine districts, from new homes to industrial sites, and will support the delivery of key infrastructure, while protecting important environmental assets.

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

Paul Dennett, City Mayor of Salford and GMCA Portfolio lead for Places for Everyone, said: “This is a major milestone for our city-region, and the culmination of a process that first began 10 years ago.

“It’s been a complex journey  but Places for Everyone is now part of the development strategy in the nine boroughs, opening up a new chapter in Greater Manchester’s devolution story. As a long-term spatial plan, we can use it as a tool to advocate for our people, places and businesses, maximise our strengths, and achieve our potential in a global economy.”

Leader of Tameside Council, Councillor Gerald Cooney said; “Places for Everyone is the key to delivering the homes that our communities need, revitalising our town centres, rejuvenating our green spaces, and integrating new developments into our transport infrastructure. In addition having a plan for homes, jobs and sustainable growth is the best line of defence against costly unplanned development.”

“Places for Everyone plan is crucially important to the future economic, social and environmental prosperity of not just Tameside, but our city region as a whole. It underpins many of our priorities and ambitions: delivering for residents, tackling the climate emergency; securing inclusive growth and much more.

 "With the successful adoption of the plan by all nine districts, we are in a strong position to protect our employment sites and green spaces, fight back against unwanted development, and set ourselves on the road to both Net Zero and a better quality of life for our residents and usher in a new era of inclusive growth and sustainable prosperity for Tameside.”

Last month a report was published, following a public examination process, which found that the plan – with modifications proposed by inspectors as part of their rigorous and independent examination process – was sound and legally compliant.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

A six-week statutory legal challenge period begins on Friday 22 March.