Oldham pulls out of Greater Manchester’s housing plan. Vote impacts 170000 home project led by Andy Burnham.
PfE wants to build homes across Greater Manchester. Mayor Andy Burnham leads this plan which aims for 170,000 new homes, including Oldham’s share of about 11,500. The plan uses brownfield sites first. This should help with the housing shortage.
Some opposed it since it used greenbelt land. The High Court will review this land issue. Oldham council will now write to Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State, to ask to leave the PfE scheme. The vote was very close.
The council had a long debate, during which Howard Sykes, a Lib Dem leader, spoke up. He said luxury homes on greenbelt are not the answer and he thinks Oldham can do better. Planned development sites include Beal Valley, Bottom Field Farm, and Broadbent Moss, also land south of Coal Pit Lane and the south of Rosary Road.
Some thought they already voted to leave PfE at a meeting in November, but officials said that vote only rejected a report. The report said leaving PfE might not be legal. Labour councillors wanted to stay in PfE because they fear losing greenbelt protection. Without PfE, Oldham must find space for 1,000 more homes because Labour’s housing targets changed things.
Arooj Shah, the council leader, voiced concerns and believes leaving is a mistake as it would hurt residents needing housing. She mentioned issues in Stockport. Stockport left PfE earlier, in 2022, and lacked a local plan afterward. A golf course there will now have 278 new homes, finding it hard to stop developments.
The vote passed 31 to 29 and councillors and the public cheered loudly.