Stockport Local Plan 2042: Council Approves 24,253 Homes 2026

Key Points

• Stockport Council has begrudgingly accepted Regulation 19 of its Local Plan, which aims to build 24,253 houses by 2042.
• The plan involves building around 8,689 houses on 30 pieces of green belt land that are called “grey belt.”
• The Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook MP threatened to intervene if the plan produced by Stockport Council was not acceptable.
• The public consultation period will take place from 23 September to 8 November 2026, while the final adoption will take place in 2027.
• Mark Roberts, the Council Leader, described it as a “bitter pill to swallow,” although he supported it because he wanted the council to make decisions.
• It accounts for 75% of the government’s calculated requirement of 32,317 homes.
• Yearly delivery targets: 1,347 houses (2026-2031), 2,137 houses (2031-2036), 1,13

Stockport (Manchester Mirror) September 17, 2026 – It has begrudgingly signed off on a transformative Local Plan that will reshape the borough over the next two decades, following explicit threats of government intervention over housing delivery targets. The Regulation 19 publication version, approved by the council’s Liberal Democrat-led cabinet on 15 September 2026, sets a target of 24,253 new homes to be built across the borough by 2042, including significant development on Green Belt land.

As reported by Ed Barnes of Nub News, council boss Councillor Jake Austin, the cabinet member overseeing housing, described the plan as “a bitter pill to swallow” but acknowledged the necessity of advancing it to prevent central government from taking over Stockport’s planning department entirely. Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, had indicated he would intervene if a suitable plan was not established, leaving the council with little choice despite strong reservations about the scale of greenbelt development required.

Council leader Mark Roberts stated:

“I am deeply disappointed that the local plan, which truly emphasized a brownfield-first approach and was a project I was incredibly proud of, has been rendered unable to move forward due to national legislation. Reluctantly, and amid significant challenges in my own ward, I believe this Regulation 19 is sound and I support its progression to the next stage of consultation. Does that imply I am in favor of its contents? Absolutely not. Will I advocate at every possible level of government for them to heed local residents’ opinions and the value they place on cherished green spaces? No, it does not. I will persist in that effort.”

What are the housing targets and delivery timeline in the Local Plan?

The Stockport Local Plan establishes a phased delivery schedule for new housing across the borough, with annual targets varying significantly over the 16-year period to 2042. Between 2026 and 2031, the council has identified land capable of delivering 1,347 homes per year on average. This figure rises substantially to 2,137 homes annually between 2031 and 2036, before dropping to 1,139 homes per year for the final five years of the plan period.

The overall target of 24,253 homes represents approximately 75% of the government’s assessed housing need for Stockport, which stands at 32,317 homes when all required buffers are applied according to national guidance. Councillor Austin explained this gap was due to site availability constraints and evidence gathered by council officers, stating that going further would cause “catastrophic damage to what the area of Stockport is going to look like.”

Around 8,000 of the proposed homes are allocated for Stockport town centre as part of the council’s widely praised regeneration programme, which has been lauded as a blueprint for town centre revival across the UK. However, even with this significant town centre focus, the plan falls substantially short of meeting the government’s full housing targets for the borough.

Which sites are included and how much Green Belt land will be developed?

The Local Plan identifies 38 housing sites under policy HOM 2a, with approximately 8,689 homes to be built on 30 sites classified as Green Belt land, much of which falls under the government’s “grey belt” designation. Grey belt refers to Green Belt land that contributes little to the Green Belt’s five purposes, and national planning policy directs councils to prioritize previously developed land first, then grey belt, then other Green Belt land.

The eight largest housing sites in the plan are predominantly located outside the existing built-up area. High Lane tops the list with 1,000 homes on grey belt land, followed by Heald Green East (790 homes, part grey belt), Heald Green West (750 homes, grey belt), Chester Road, Woodford (550 homes, part grey belt), Woodford Garden Village Extension (540 homes, previously developed), Dairyground Farm (500 homes, grey belt), Cow Lane, Hazel Grove (385 homes, grey belt), and Land off Midland Road (350 homes, inside built-up area).

Since the draft plan consulted on last winter, three sites have been removed as undeliverable: Brookfield Business Park (145 homes), Land at Chadwick Street, Marple (174 homes), and Land at Houldsworth Golf Club (122 homes). Three new sites have been added: Land off Buxton Road, Hazel Grove (75 homes), Land off Occupiers Lane (120 homes), and Daisy Bank, Heald Green (132 homes). The overall site total has fallen from 25,371 homes in the draft to 24,253 in the publication version, a reduction of 1,118 homes.

What do council leaders and MPs say about the plan and government pressure?

Councillor Jake Austin, the housing lead, remarked: “While having a local plan doesn’t eliminate our tough decisions, lacking one takes away our ability to make those choices. Therefore, even as we continue to challenge elements of the national planning framework that we believe are unsuitable for areas like Stockport, we also have a duty to safeguard local decision-making and advance this plan for further consultation. Otherwise, we risk additional government intervention.” He emphasized that council officers had done everything possible to match government housing targets but could not go further without inflicting even more damage on Stockport’s character.

The council’s leadership and Stockport’s two Liberal Democrat MPs, Tom Morrison and Lisa Smart, have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham over the issue, pointing to comments made during the Makerfield by-election campaign regarding greenbelt development. Councillor Austin called for the government to fund major infrastructure projects to combat the impact of new housing, including a possible bypass from the A6 to the M60 to ease congestion and an extension of Metrolink across the borough to improve public transport connections.

As reported by Ed Barnes of Nub News, Councillor Austin stated: “Our worry is that the government will think that is not enough but I am confident in our Local Plan and the evidence we have gathered. We know the direction that the government is going here and as Liberal Democrats in Stockport, that worries us. There’s a significant amount of evidence in the Local Plan.” He added: “To have this change to the planning system from the government that does not allow us to restrict the blanket building of housing development and maintain the character of Stockport as we would like to do is a bitter pill to swallow.”

What is the consultation process and timeline for final adoption?

The cabinet’s approval of Regulation 19 paves the way for a final public consultation period running from 23 September to 8 November 2026. This represents the last formal opportunity for residents and local organizations to comment on the plan before it is submitted to the government for examination. Following the consultation, the council intends to submit the plan to the government by 31 December 2026, with planning inspector hearings expected in spring 2027 and final adoption around the end of 2027.

The government has been directing the timetable since September 2025, when the housing minister ordered the council to speed up its Local Plan preparation. An amended direction on 1 July 2026 granted additional time, but stipulated that final consultation must start by 1 October and the plan must be submitted by 31 December. The key dates in the council’s report show: Housing, Economy and Environment Scrutiny Committee on 14 September; Cabinet decision on 15 September; public comment period 23 September to 8 November; extraordinary scrutiny meeting on 7 December; cabinet meeting on 8 December; and extraordinary full council vote on submission on 17 December.

This consultation round is narrower than last winter’s, asking specifically whether the plan is legally compliant and “sound” meaning justified, deliverable and consistent with national policy. Comments will go to the planning inspector appointed by the government to examine the plan, with evidence on flooding, access, school places and road capacity carrying more weight than general objections.

Background: How did Stockport’s Local Plan develop to this point?

Stockport Council initially prepared a Local Plan in 2024 that prioritized preservation of greenbelt areas and adopted a ‘brownfield-first’ strategy, which council leaders were proud of as it aligned with local preferences for protecting green spaces. However, this plan was scrapped after the UK Government increased housing targets and introduced new national planning rules that required councils to meet higher housing numbers.

Following public feedback at the end of 2025, which generated around 7,500 responses, the council made numerous changes to the draft plan. Some 441 homes were removed from sites deemed undeliverable, while 427 homes were added to other locations. The council’s Housing Topic Paper sets out the evidence base showing that existing permissions, urban sites and town centre allowances account for 15,519 homes (48% of need), with no neighboring council agreeing to take any of Stockport’s shortfall.

The government’s new national planning rules, introduced last month, do not change the basis of this particular plan as transitional rules mean it must be tested against the December 2024 version of national policy. Stockport was deemed one of the worst performing councils in the country over housing delivery, adding pressure to approve more planning applications alongside the Local Plan.

Prediction: How will this development affect Stockport residents and the borough?

The approval of this Local Plan will have profound and lasting effects on Stockport residents, local communities, and the character of the borough over the coming decades. With 8,689 homes planned for Green Belt sites across 30 locations, residents living near these allocations will see significant changes to their local environment, particularly in areas like High Lane, Heald Green, Hazel Grove, and Woodford where the largest sites are concentrated.

Infrastructure pressure is likely to intensify across the borough, with Councillor Austin’s calls for government-funded projects including an A6 to M60 bypass and Metrolink extensions highlighting anticipated congestion and transport challenges. The plan’s own transport evidence states that development on a bigger scale would have “a significantly detrimental effect” on the road network, suggesting existing residents may face increased journey times and reduced road capacity.

For local services, the concentration of 8,000 homes in Stockport town centre supports the ongoing regeneration but may stretch school places, healthcare facilities, and other public services if infrastructure investment does not keep pace with housing delivery. The plan applies the government’s “golden rules” to Green Belt sites, requiring at least 50% affordable housing plus infrastructure improvements and new or better public green space, which could benefit lower-income residents if properly implemented.

However, the gap between the plan’s 24,253 homes and the government’s 32,317 assessment leaves the plan vulnerable to developer challenges at examination, with developers potentially arguing for more sites to be added. This could result in even more development than currently planned, further transforming the borough’s landscape beyond what council leaders originally intended when they pursued their brownfield-first approach.