Second draft of Greater Manchester Spatial Framework to be developed in new year

The second draft of the controversial Greater Manchester Spatial Framework is expected to be developed in the new year.

The GM Spatial Framework is planning for more significant levels of growth across Greater Manchester and the scale of growth requires the identification of strategic sites outside the urban areas which may require release of land from the green belt.

The draft plan will be developed in the new year, with a view to publishing it in June 2018. A final draft was due to go out to consultation later this year, and adoption was scheduled for 2018.

This timetable has now been revised and the next draft will take into account comments received during the first consultation and aim to make the most of brownfield sites and reduce the impact on the green belt.

Following the Greater Manchester mayoral election earlier this year, the newly-elected Mayor Andy Burnham confirmed that he would rework the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework to include more emphasis on affordable homes, fringe towns, and a significant reduction in plans to build on green belt.