Andy Burnham, the keynote speaker, at yesterday’s event provided an articulate and positive overview of how he hopes to deliver “the right homes in the right places” in Greater Manchester.   He wants a radical re-write of the  Spatial Strategy and for him it is essential that this re-write is underpinned by a thorough understanding of housing need and the requirement to regenerate existing centres.

He made it clear that although he wasn’t anti-developer and would be looking to foster public/private partnerships, he wants to give Local Planning Authorities the power to deliver the types of housing they need in the right locations.

He is keen to locate homes close to existing centres and public transport networks and create strong links with health,education and supported accommodation providers.

He was at pains to say that there can be no reliance on decisions from Westminster on the basis that they will be tied up with Brexit and gave the impression that he would be taking full advantage of this preoccupation!