Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment his Department has made of the level of demand for housebuilding in (a) Stockport constituency and (b) Greater Manchester.

It is for local authorities to calculate their local housing need figure based on the standard method we have set out in guidance. In 2018, we introduced a standard method for assessing local housing need to make the process of identifying the number of homes needed in an area simple, quick and transparent. This comprises a baseline of household projections which are adjusted to take account of affordability, capped to make the increase realistic for areas - and, in December 2020, we added a 35% uplift for the 20 most populated urban areas to ensure that the standard method was consistent with the aim to deliver 300,000 homes a year. This included Manchester, but did not include Stockport

The standard method is used by councils as a guide when they develop their local plans. Councils decide their own housing requirement once they have considered their ability to meet their own needs in their area. This includes taking local circumstances and constraints, including Green Belt, into account, and working with neighbouring authorities if it would be more appropriate for needs to be met elsewhere. This recognises that not everywhere will be able to meet their housing need in full. Each plan is subject to a public examination in front of an independent Inspector, who plays an important role in examining plans impartially to ensure that they are legally compliant and sound.