Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: June 24, 2025

Purpose:

Content: Salford City Council - Record of Decision (Cabinet)   I Paul Dennett, City Mayor, in exercise of the powers contained within the City Council Constitution do hereby:   Subject to Council approving, in principle, to the making of a joint development plan document with the other 9 Greater Manchester councils (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan), to cover planning for minerals and waste across Greater Manchester:   1)    Delegate to AGMA Executive Board the formulating and preparing of the joint development plan document to cover planning for minerals and waste across Greater Manchester insofar as such matters are executive functions.   2)    Note that the following are the sole responsibility of the Council:   a)    Responsibility for giving of instructions to the executive to reconsider the draft plan submitted by the executive for the authority’s consideration.   b)    The amendment of the draft joint development plan document submitted by the executive for the Council’s consideration.   c)    The approval of the joint development plan document for the purposes of submission to the Secretary of State for independent examination.   d)    The adoption of the joint development plan document.   The Reasons are:   The existing Greater Manchester Minerals and Waste Plans (GMJMWP) require updating in full because they are out of date having been adopted over a decade ago.   Planning for both minerals and waste at the same time, and jointly across Greater Manchester, represents an efficient way to deliver updates to the planning policy framework. There are resource efficiencies (economy of scale) at each stage of plan preparation and will mean that up-to-date minerals and waste policies will be in place at the earliest possible time scale.   In order for the GMJMWP to be progressed each Council is requested to agree to prepare a new joint plan with the other 9 local authorities. Approval from each authority is also requested to delegate the preparation of the GMJMWP as a joint plan to the AGMA Executive Board (in Salford this is a decision of the City Mayor in consultation with Cabinet).   Options considered and rejected were:   To produce two separate joint plans, one for waste and one for Minerals: This approach would require more resources than a single, joint plan due to duplication of work and could result in delay.   To produce a joint Waste Plan and incorporate minerals policies into each authority’s Local Plan: Some authorities are already advanced in preparing a Local Plan and therefore cannot incorporate minerals within their plan timetable. Therefore some GM authorities would continue to have outdated minerals policies, contrary to national policy.   Do not update the current plans – ‘do nothing’ scenario: This approach would be contrary to national policy and legislation and risks unplanned proposals coming forward.   Assessment of Risk: Low.   Legal Advice obtained: Yes.   Supplied by: Robert Irvine, Group Leader (Physical Infrastructure): Shared legal service   Comments: The legislative requirements for the preparation of a joint DPD are contained in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. This report sets out the steps that are required in relation to progressing a joint waste and minerals DPD, including the decisions that need to be made to allow AGMA, as a joint committee of the 10 GM authorities, to formulate and prepare the joint plan. This report also sets out the decisions that are reserved to each of the Councils, and which cannot therefore be taken by AGMA as a joint committee.   If adopted in due course, the joint DPD would become part of the Council’s Development Plan, meaning that planning applications would have to be determined in accordance with it, unless material considerations indicated otherwise.   Financial Advice obtained: Yes.   Supplied by: Martin Anglesey, Accountant   Comments: Work is to be undertaken to identify and quantify how costs will be funded. This will be subject to consideration of the agreement in principal for preparing the Plan.   In March 2025, the city council received £227,962 Government funding to support the costs of local plan delivery. The Minerals and Waste element comprises part of this Plan, therefore any associated expenditure can be supported by this income.   In terms of employee costs, officer support will be undertaken as part of normal team member duties so no extra costs will be incurred.   Procurement Advice obtained: Not applicable.   HR Advice obtained: Not applicable.   Climate Change Advice obtained: Yes. As part of preparing the GMJMWP an integrated assessment will be undertaken throughout the production of the plan which will consider climate change alongside other social, economic and environmental considerations.     Contact Officer: James Shuttleworth / Matt Doherty                              Telephone number: 0161 793 2307 / 0161 793 2304   The appropriate scrutiny to call-in the decision is the Growth and Prosperity Scrutiny Committee.                 Signed:          Paul Dennett                                                 Dated:   24/06/25                                                                            City Mayor   For Democratic Services use only   This decision was published on 24.06.25                                           This decision will come in force at 4.00 p.m. on 01.07.25 unless it is called-in in accordance with the Decision Making Process Rules.