The leader of Stockport council has defended the local authority following allegations of public money being wasted on bids to protect the green belt.

Stockport Labour has criticised the town hall over a government-approved delay to the delivery of a Local Plan, a major planning document that outlines development and growth across the borough.

The plan has been a major talking points in areas across the borough, where developers have made bids to build on sections of the green belt. The council has, in the past, been accused of 'being asleep at the wheel'.

In recent weeks, the local authority was ordered to pay £28,000 after it lost its appeal of a Planning Inspectorate decision to allow the Woodford Garden Village development to move forward. In a decision, Justice Timothy Mould said the council's 'overarching submission under this ground identifies no arguable error of law'.

The town hall has said it is working relentlessly to deliver a plan against a backdrop of obstacles created by national government and the new deadline was 'incredibly tight to work with'. If the plan is not delivered, the government has threatened to intervene.

In a joint statement, Stockport MP Navendu Mishra and Labour group leader Rachel Wise criticised the Liberal Democrat-run local authority over the situation, pointing to nearly 10,000 people social housing waiting lists.

They said: "While some parts of the borough have seen significant levels of development, opposition to housing growth elsewhere has delayed decisions and prevented a balanced approach to meeting housing need across Stockport.

"The consequence is that families remain on waiting lists, young people are priced out of their communities and the borough lacks the certainty that an adopted Local Plan would provide."

They highlighted the overturning of council decisions to refuse developments on the Mirrlees Fields and Gatley Golf Club schemes, as well as the Woodford Garden Village loss. In a separate letter, Mr Mishra said: "These cases represent a substantial waste of public money."

Cllr Wise and Mr Mishra said: "At a time when the council continues to warn about financial pressures, residents are right to question whether these costly legal battles represent the best use of public money. Every pound spent on unsuccessful litigation is a pound that cannot be spent on local services or supporting vulnerable residents.

"Stockport needs a council focused on delivery, not delay. That means working constructively to provide the homes people need, increasing affordable and social housing, and ensuring growth is shared fairly across the borough."

Lib Dem town hall leader Cllr Mark Roberts said the extension granted by the government brought Stockport council in line with other local authorities. He said Conservative and Labour government decisions 'have caused great instability in local planning'.

He added: "We have always acknowledged the need for more homes in our borough, but unlike Labour, we have consistently argued that residents should be consulted properly about developments that change their area forever. Development should be done with the communities' best interest at its heart.

"The sweeping changes to planning and removal of protections to our precious green space means we have no option but to produce a Local Plan to Labour's rules. This is not the plan the Liberal Democrats want – we published our brownfield-first approach back in July 2024.

"This was blocked from proceeding by the changes Labour introduced, including doubling our mandatory housing target. It isn't local people that will have the final say any more, but instead key local decisions will be decided by a Labour Minister in Westminster, flipping a double headed coin on whether to concrete over our green belt."

He added: "I won't apologise for standing up for our residents or for what is right. Under the Liberal Democrats the council will challenge planning applications where we believe, given legal advice, that it is in the public interest to do so.

"It is not appropriate, or in residents' interest, to simply roll over when we have been advised there are legitimate concerns with applications, but it says everything that Labour are more than happy to."

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