Decision
Analysis
outcome: Recommendations Approved
summary: Updating the Greater Manchester Minerals and Waste Plans to cover planning for minerals and waste across Greater Manchester.
topline: The Cabinet has decided to update the Greater Manchester Minerals and Waste Plans to cover planning for minerals and waste across Greater Manchester.
reason_contentious: This issue may be contentious as it involves updating planning policies that could impact various stakeholders and may have resource implications.
affected_stakeholders: ["Council members", "Local residents", "Businesses", "Environmental groups"]
contentiousness_score: 6
political_party_relevance: No explicit mention of political parties or influence on the decision.
URL: https://councildecisions.bury.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=4234
Decision Maker: Cabinet
Outcome: Recommendations Approved
Is Key Decision?: Yes
Is Callable In?: No
Purpose:
Content: Councillor Alan Quinn, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Operations, presented a report on the statutory Greater Manchester Joint Minerals and Waste Plan (GMJMWP) and next steps in the decision-making process. In response to Members’ questions, it was noted that this Plan would not make it more difficult to introduce a garden waste tax as that would still be for individual Councils to decide, but that Bury was not currently considering this option. Decision: Subject to Council approving, in principle, to the making of a joint development plan document with the other 9 Greater Manchester Councils (Bolton, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan), to cover planning for minerals and waste across Greater Manchester, Cabinet: 1. Delegated 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. Noted 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. Reasons for the decision: The existing Greater Manchester Minerals and Waste Plans 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. Alternative options considered and rejected: · 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.
Date of Decision: July 9, 2025