Council at bottom of Northern league table for housing delivery

More than 3,000 new homes could be built in Stockport alongside new warehouses, including on the green belt, if plans are given the go-ahead.

Because it failed to meet government targets, Stockport Council has been told it needs to add a 20% buffer on land given over to housing over the next few years. This could put more pressure on the local authority to allow greenbelt development to go ahead in the future at a time developers have been sending in plans to the town hall.

Residential applications must also now be decided with a presumption in favour of approval, which will make it easier for developers. The change for Stockport does not mean green belt developments would automatically get the go ahead because policies protecting those areas are still in place.

The changes may actually help any brownfield schemes move forward. However the council will now be required to demonstrate the negatives significantly outweigh the negatives if it rejects any plans, including on the countryside.

Figures published by the UK Government showed the borough delivered 1,457 homes against the 3,408 the government said was needed between 2022 and 2025. The latest figures puts Stockport at the bottom of the government’s league table over housing delivery for the North West of England but also the whole north of England too.

Stockport Labour have criticised the situation with Coun Rachel Wise telling the Manchester Evening News: “The numbers are worse now than they were then, and the borough has gone backwards while every other council in the North moved forward.”

However Liberal Democrat leader Coun Mark Roberts said they were delivering a new plan which would deliver ‘sustainable housing on our brownfield sites within our town and district centres’, adding: “Stockport is buzzing, with new homes being delivered for all to see, our town centre regeneration is being hailed as a blueprint for towns across the country by the new [Prime Minister].”

Regardless of political disagreements, the situation now means a number of major developments across the borough could get the go ahead following the latest government order. Here is a list of the major outstanding planning applications currently on Stockport’s planning portal that are waiting for a decision:

Land north of Stanley Road and west of the A34 in Heald Green

Developer Bloor Homes has submitted the plans to Stockport council for approval, with hopes of building 675 homes on land in Heald Green East between the A34 and A555. Bloor Homes said the masterplan would see more than £100m invested into the local area if approved, creating more than 500 construction jobs in total.

The plans involve creating a new local centre to provide ‘essential services’ for future residents, including a health clinic. Space has also been earmarked for a future park and ride facility and train station, which bosses say would need to be brought forward by Network Rail or Transport for Greater Manchester.

A decision on this is due on September 16 2026.

Land south of Stanley Road and Grove Lane in Cheadle Hulme

Stonebond Properties wanted to build 126 homes off Grove Lane on former sports pitches which is now ‘rough grassland’. The site is described as being ‘close to a vibrant mix and choice of retailing, cafés, bars, restaurants and employment opportunities’ in the application.

A design and access statement said: “The proposed development comprises new residential dwellings including new landscaping and areas of public open space,” adding: “The development at Grove Lane, Stockport, will provide an attractive area to live with high quality designed homes.

“The scale and character of the proposals will ensure that the scheme will contribute to and enhance the immediate and surrounding area.”

A decision on this was due on June 9 2026 but has not been made yet.

Land off Moor Lane in Woodford

Miller Homes has put forward plans for up to 130 homes to be built. In a design and access statement, they said: “The proposed development provides a unique opportunity to create a new vibrant place to live, with connections to the existing movement networks and natural features.

“It will increase local housing supply and provide areas of accessible public open space, whilst improving public access across the site and the wider pedestrian network. Furthermore, the proposed development will be a highly desirable place to live for the 21st century and beyond, reflecting the desirable elements of the local vernacular.

“The proposals respect the local character but also move the community towards a more sustainable future, through an increase in housing choice.”

A decision is due on the application by August 25 2026.

Land off Jenny Lane in Woodford

RIchborough have put forward plans for up to 75 homes along with a new green space in Woodford which they said will ‘create a sustainable and attractive development to the village, inspired by the context and local character of Woodford and the aspirations of the Woodford Neighbourhood Plan’.

They are promising that at least 50% of the homes or around 38 of these will be classified as affordable, while the site which is currently private would be opened up to the public and the wider community to enjoy.

A decision is due on the application by November 5 2026.

Land at Upper Swinesye Farm in Woodford

Barratt David Wilson Homes North West and Michael Glen Kingsley are hoping to deliver up to 455 new homes on the farm near Woodford with 50% of these being affordable. A design and access statement linked to the plans said: “This planning application marks a major step forward in the exciting opportunity that the development of the Site at Upper Swineseye Farm, Woodford, represents.

“This DAS has been created to demonstrate how the masterplan proposals for the site embody a high-quality, sustainable, and dynamic new development.”

The site sits next to the Woodford Garden Village where there are plans to build more homes. A decision on this application was due on August 12 2026 but has not yet been made.

Land south of Chester Road in Woodford

Plans have been put forward by Russell LDP and Stantec to build the new homes off Chester Road in Woodford. The development would include up to 423 new homes as well as an extra care facility for those over 55 with up to 72 beds.

Alongside this, there are plans for shops, food and drink venues up to 100 square metres, new health services, a nursery or day centre, as well as a new nature park.

A design and access statement said the plans ‘provide a framework to deliver a high quality, well-designed and sustainable place for the future’. A decision is due on the application by October 6 2026.

Land off Lytham Drive in Bramhall

Wain Estates want to build up to 200 new homes across nearly five and a half hectares of land. A design and access statement for the application said: “The submitted planning application seeks outline planning consent for a high quality sustainable residential development. The vision for the development is to provide a number of beneficial elements for the existing and future communities.

They added: “The site is capable of delivering up to 200 new homes, providing a mix of family homes and affordable housing. The new high-quality residential development will be set with in an attractive network of open space.”

A decision on the application was due to be made on June 26 2026 but has not been made yet.

Mill Bank Farm off Chester Road in Hazel Grove

Plans have been put in by Bellway Homes for 134 new houses at Mill Bank Farm off Chester Road in Hazel Grove, Stockport. If given planning approval by Stockport Council, the new homes would be built on fields just north of the A555 on an area currently designated green belt.

Bellway Homes, which began as a small family business in 1946, is now one of the largest developers of new homes across the UK and claims ‘a proven track record of providing good quality aspirational housing’. The development promises to create ‘create a well-informed attractive neighbourhood, not overly dominated by the car and give a sensitive integration and robust solution to the existing character area’.

The site covers a nearly five hectare area of farmland on the edge of Hazel Grove made up of ‘open fields with trees dispersed throughout’ and has never been developed. A design and access statement linked to a planning application said the development is close to Adidas’ north Europe headquarters as well as number of parks, play areas, and sports pitches.

A decision was due on this application by August 10 2026 but has not been made.

Land next to Jacksons Lane in Hazel Grove

Bellway want to deliver 176 homes off Jacksons Lane with the scheme being a mix of two to four bed dwellings up to two storeys in height.

A design and access statement report said: “The development will create a high quality, sustainable residential neighbourhood which maintains and enhances the key existing features of Hazel Grove with greenspace and surrounding boundaries, integrating the site into the wider area.

“The development will create a well-informed attractive neighbourhood, not overly dominated by the car and give a sensitive integration and robust solution to the existing character area, as well as creating a sense of place which includes house types with reference to the local architectural vernacular.”

A decision was due on this application by June 19 2026 but has not been made.

Land north of Buxton Road in Hazel Grove

Hollins Strategic Land want to build up to 75 new homes as well as new public space near Hazel Grove. Documents linked to the application said: “The application is submitted in outline and seeks planning permission for the construction of up to 75 dwelling houses, access, open space and associated infrastructure.

“The emerging outline proposals promote a landscape-led development, with approximately 33% of the site dedicated to open space, including well designed green public spaces, new play areas, and integrated walking and cycling routes.

“Existing trees and hedgerows will be retained wherever possible, while the overall level of tree cover and planting will be significantly enhanced.

“Given the site’s currently limited vegetation and low-value habitat, this approach will deliver meaningful improvements to both biodiversity and landscape character.”

A decision is due on October 8 2026.

Land south of Mill Lane in Hazel Grove

Hollins Strategic Land want to build up to 31 new homes as well as public open space on another site near Hazel Grove. Documents put forward as part of the application said: “Overall, it has been demonstrated that not only is the site a suitable and sustainable location for new housing development but also that the scale of development proposed can be successfully accommodated on the site in a manner which respects the various technical constraints whilst also adhering to established principles of good urban design.

“This will be a high quality development which respects the local character and delivers much needed homes in an attractive landscape setting. We therefore request that planning permission is granted for this scheme.”

A decision is due on October 8 2026.

Land at the Simpson Business Centre off Buxton Road in Hazel Grove

Nine new homes could be built on land at the Simpsons Business Centre in Hazel Grove with developers arguing the land is grey belt. A decision was due on this application on May 5 2026 but has not been made yet.

Land off Mill Street in Hazel Grove

This application is in its early stages but Northstone Development Ltd is looking to develop up to 174 new homes here. A decision was due on May 12 2026 but this has not been made.

Northstone were hoping to submit a planning application in May but this appears to have been delayed. Earlier this year, Northstone said they hoped to finish construction by 2030 if their plans were approved.

Land at Hyde Bank Meadows in Romiley

Up to 250 homes could be built here under plans put forward by Seddon. These plans are in their early stages but could ‘include a mix of small dwellings and larger family homes’.

A decision was due on the application over whether an environmental impact assessment is needed by April 23 2026 but this has not been made yet.

Land northeast of Bredbury Industrial Estate

These plans look to extend the Bredbury Park Industrial Estate on an ‘unoccupied and overgrown’ site. Developers FI Group hope to ‘provide much needed jobs and industrial units in the area’ through the expansion.

Documents attached to the application said: “Unlike previous proposals for this site, we are proposing a much smaller employment development and are not seeking to develop a large-scale regional distribution hub. Instead we want to provide a mix of units – from starter units to mid-range – that offer flexibility of use for light and general industry and local warehousing and distribution.

“As the indicative site plan shows, buildings would be smaller in scale and height and the scheme will be landscape led. A large part of the overall site will remain as a green undeveloped area of countryside, with the potential to create a publicly accessible community nature park on the remainder of the site.”

A decision was due on June 22 2026 but has not been made yet.

Land southwest of Shakespeare Road in Bredbury

Westchurch Homes want to build 134 affordable homes just outside of Bredbury which they said ‘would deliver a range of high quality, high specification homes for the local community in a sustainable location’.

A decision is due on the plans by October 28 2026.

Economist Lord Jim O’Neill, who has been advising the prime minister, has said he will not be taking a job in Andy Burnham’s government.

As first reported by, external the Financial Times, Lord O’Neill, a crossbench peer who was once a treasury minister under the Conservatives, said he did not want the constraints involved in taking on a formal role.

The former chief economist at Goldman Sachs had been tipped to become Burnham’s chief economic adviser.

He said he was enjoying what he was currently doing too much and did not want to have to give up control of his business interests to comply with official rules.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he had “lots of other things that are going on that I very much enjoy” and, having been a minister before, he knew the job included “all the constraints that understandably go with it, like a blind trust and to abandon everything else you do, never mind the fact that it’s 24/7”.

In placing shares in blind trusts, ministers have no knowledge of how their investment is being handled, to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

He said he concluded he would rather be a voice to talk to and “get on with the rest of the things in my life”.

He earlier told the Financial Times it was “not because of any policy disagreements”, adding “I’m a massive fan of the focus on devolution and I hope Andy and his team will be bold on this and everything else.”

He pointed to Greater Manchester as an example of economic growth and said if you could repeat that around populated areas, “then national economic performance will improve”.

Asked by the BBC whether the new government in the upcoming October budget would need to raise taxes, Lord O’Neill said it was a choice for the prime minister and his team “based on the things they’re saying they want to do more of – defence spending is obviously the one that catches the eye”, among other things.

Pressed on whether the government could turn to something such as wealth taxes, Lord O’Neill said he was “not a fan of further increases in these kind of taxes, particularly as it relates to capital gains for genuine risk taking things like venture capital”.

He noted that the country has boosted government spending “dramatically” in recent years and needed a “more sensible approach to welfare spending under genuine welfare reform”.

From 2015-2016, Lord O’Neill was commercial secretary to the Treasury under the then-Chancellor, George Osborne.

The peer, who grew up in Greater Manchester, was a key figure in pushing the Conservatives’ Northern Powerhouse agenda, which was aimed at boosting the economy of the North of England.

Lord O’Neill is also known as the economist who coined the term Bric in 2001 to describe leading developing or newly industrialised countries with potential for fast growth and, therefore, investment returns.

The original four nations – Brazil, Russia, India and China – later became the Brics when they were joined by South Africa.

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Following the power cut, an update from National Rail at 18:13 BST said the CrossCountry service between Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport will be running on Sunday evening.

The update also said the operator had been able to resume operating an hourly train service from Birmingham New Street to Leicester and Derby.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Following earlier disruption on CrossCountry services, I am pleased to hear some trains are set to run tonight, and a full timetable expected to resume tomorrow.

“While passengers should continue to check their journeys before they travel, I’d like to thank engineers who are working tirelessly to minimise disruption as much as possible.

“We are setting up Great British Railways and nationalising services, including Cross Country next year, to end decades of fragmentation and vulnerability on our network. We are determined to give passengers the reliability they deserve.”

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has called for a review of railway operational control centres following the disruption, “to ensure they remain unaffected by power outages.”

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said passengers and rail workers should not have to face another week of “travel chaos” because of unreliable back-up systems.

East Sussex County Council (ESCC) stopped providing summer holiday supermarket vouchers for families which would have received free school meals support, after the changes to the government scheme. It says this means eligible families no longer automatically receive food vouchers over the summer holidays.

The change has been criticised by Hastings and Rye MP Helena Dollimore, but council leader Andy Woolley said the new fund set up by the council “would provide support to households experiencing immediate financial hardship and to help build longer-term financial resilience, rather than providing universal holiday food vouchers to all families eligible for free school meals”.

Council’s across the country have set up similar schemes.

An ESCC spokesperson said £7.3 million will be spent over the next year supporting residents facing financial hardship including debt advice services, community food support, the expansion of holiday clubs with meals, and help for households with essentials like food and utilities.

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said the CRF guidance “makes clear councils can use vouchers to support families with children on free school meals during the holidays and we have written to local authorities to confirm this”.

It added: “Authorities have the discretion to design their own schemes, within the CRF guidance, to ensure the poorest children do not go hungry.”

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, external, X, external, and on Instagram, external and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk, external or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

Edward Close
MD, CEO & Executive Director

Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us for nib’s FY ’26 Full Year Results. I’m Ed Close, nib Group CEO and Managing Director, and I’m joined here in Newcastle by our Group Chief Financial Officer, Nick Freeman.

Before we begin, I’d like to acknowledge the Awabakal people, the traditional custodians of the land we are joining you from today. I pay my respects to elders past and present. We are pleased to report a solid FY ’26 group result with pleasing strategic progress, positive customer outcomes, a strong capital position and a more balanced contribution across our businesses. Our purpose of your better health and well-being continues to shape our strategy and guide our people to deliver sustainable value for our customers, shareholders and the communities we operate within.

nib is now a simpler, more focused and more efficient business with a clear emphasis on private health insurance and related services, supported by leading digital and AI capability, strong customer advocacy, our high-performing people and a disciplined approach to risk and capital management. This morning, I’ll cover the highlights, segment performance and strategic progress. Nick will then take you through the financial results in more detail before I return to discuss strategy and outlook. So if we head across to Slide 6, our FY ’26 highlights. It was a year of disciplined execution and meaningful strategic progress