Residents of Greater Manchester were yesterday urged to take part in an eight-week public consultation on a new joint development plan for homes and jobs.

The Places for Everyone plan, which has been produced using the evidence from the drafts of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, will determine what kind of development takes place across nine boroughs in Greater Manchester.

According to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the majority of development is set to take place in urban areas, including 90% of new homes. The plan maximises the use of brownfield land and has reduced the impact on the Green Belt by 60% compared to the 2016 Spatial Framework.

Residents, businesses and local groups are encouraged to take part in the consultation on the plan, which has now been approved by councils in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan.

‘This is the final stage in the preparation of Places for Everyone, and it’s really important that residents, businesses, and all stakeholders across the nine boroughs have the chance to review the plan and have their say,’ said city mayor Paul Dennett, chair of the Places for Everyone Joint Committee and GMCA Lead for Housing, Planning and Homelessness.

‘Places for Everyone underpins a wider vision for Greater Manchester that will put us on the best possible footing to face the challenges of the future. It will mean we decide what kind of development takes place and where, maximising the use of brownfield land and urban spaces while protecting green belt land from the risk of unplanned development. It will benefit our places and helps us recover from the pandemic, tackle housing inequality, and pave the way for a low-carbon economy.

‘It’s important for people to know that this will be a different kind of consultation to the ones previously carried out, with questions about whether the plan meets specific criteria.

‘All nine councils have taken steps to make this consultation as open and accessible and possible, and will be engaging with residents over the next eight weeks to make sure everyone knows how they can take part and have their say.’