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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the forthcoming allocations in the Local Plan for Tameside can deviate from Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone allocations.

Places for Everyone is a joint development plan document which sets out strategic policies for 9 of the 10 Greater Manchester Councils, including Tameside. Delivery of an up to date development plan is key to ensuring the infrastructure and development is in place to contribute towards our goal to Level Up Britain, to boost economic growth, and to progress opportunities for regeneration.

Each of the 9 Councils agreed the pre submission version of Places for Everyone before consultation took place in 2021. The plan was then submitted for examination by a panel of independent Inspectors in February 2022. The strategic policies and allocations proposed in Places for Everyone will be examined for their soundness as part of the examination process, including those in Tameside. If the Plan is found sound the 9 Councils will then decide whether to adopt the plan.

Places for Everyone is a strategic plan and it does not include more detailed area specific policies and allocations, these will be included in each borough’s local plan, such as the emerging Tameside Local Plan, which is at an early stage of preparation with consultation expected later this year.

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that in preparing a plan the authority needs to have regard to other local development plan documents. Whilst Tameside Council have indicated they will prepare their plan in conformity with Places for Everyone, legislation does not preclude the local plan from deviating from other local development plan documents, such as Places for Everyone, if there is sound evidence for doing so.