Oldham's 'deafening silence' since voting to leave Places for Everyone scheme

Oldham has been ‘left in uncertainty’ since voting to withdraw from a controversial housing scheme.

Councillors say they’ve heard nothing but ‘deafening silence’ from the government and Greater Manchester mayor since voting to leave Places for Everyone (PfE) last month.

The Greater Manchester housing scheme aims to bring tens of thousands of new homes, as well as jobs and new infrastructure, to nine of the ten boroughs.

But fears the plans will destroy greenbelt land in exchange for ‘unaffordable housing’ has sparked fierce opposition from councillors outside the Labour group.

A narrow vote on February 12 saw the council executives compelled to write to Secretary of State Angela Rayner, who would need to approve Oldham’s exit from the agreement.

At the time, mayor and PfE torch-bearer Andy Burnham offered to ‘reach out to opposition leaders’ and ‘find compromise’.

But Liberal Democrat and independent leaders confirmed earlier this week that they have heard ‘absolutely nothing’.

Coun Sam Al-Hamdani, Oldham’s deputy opposition leader, said: “Deafening silence. No one’s reached out to us.”

In an ironic tone, he added: “It’s almost as though they’re not taking it very seriously.

"They know we’re ready to have a conversation and they have shown no interest whatsoever.”

Opposition councillors want to negotiate the use of greenbelt land.

Supporters of PfE have always maintained the scheme was ‘sacrificing a small amount of greenbelt land in order to protect the rest’.

But Coun Al-Hamdani is not convinced, noting the Labour government’s increased housing targets and changes to how greenbelt land is designated.

“In three year’s time, we could see a situation where almost all of the green belt in Saddleworth suddenly isn’t greenbelt anymore. At the same time we’re being asked to build 500 extra new homes each year,” he said.

“We need houses.

"But we need houses for social rent in places where there is the infrastructure to cope with it.

"That isn’t a field in Saddleworth that’s never been built on before.”

Greater Manchester Combined Authority argued the mayor has been in touch with Oldham through the council’s Labour leader Arooj Shah.

A spokesperson said: “The Places for Everyone plan has been agreed by the nine councils and is part of their adopted development strategy.

"As a result, it cannot be changed by the Mayor or by any of the nine councils. …

“While the plan cannot be changed, the Mayor has been engaging with council leaders, including in Oldham, to discuss maximising the success of our brownfield-first approach and bringing forward land for development.”

The spokesperson also stressed that by working together, the nine districts had ‘more certainty’ in planning policy, acting as ‘the best line of defence against costly, unplanned development’.

This month, Angela Rayner hinted she ‘wanted Oldham to be a part’ of PfE, and said ‘I don’t think that they’ll be pulling out of the plan’.

But in the intervening weeks, no official decision has been communicated to the council.

It is understood the lack of a decision is leaving the council’s planning department ‘in uncertainty’.

Officers are in the process of drawing up the borough’s ‘Local Plan’, a crucial though technical plan that sets out a council’s planning priorities and restrictions.

Because the document will either be ‘complimentary’ to PfE policies or become a ‘standalone’ scheme if the borough leaves, staff are having to draft two versions of the work-intensive plan, which can take months to complete.

Coun Howard Sykes, Lib Dem leader and vocal opponent of PfE, said: “I think it’s disappointing that the MP responsible has hinted what her response will be but hasn’t responded officially.

“That could mean she’s giving it serious thought to the matter and the idea has more merit than she originally expected.

"Or she’s simply waiting.

“Either way, the uncertainty doesn’t benefit anyone, regardless of what side you stand on in this debate.”

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was approached for comment.

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