Enclosed is the report of the Strategic Director Growth and Development.

1.         To note the outcome of the public consultation on the draft Strategic Regeneration Framework Guidance for the Oxford Road Corridor area.

2.         To approve the draft Strategic Regeneration Framework Guidance including proposed amendments in response to the consultation and request that the Planning and Highways Committee take the Framework into account as a material consideration when considering planning applications for the four sites covered by the SRFG.

3.         To agree land in Council ownership will be used to support the SRFG as opportunities are brought forward.

In June 2017 we had endorsed in principle the draft Strategic Spatial Framework for the Oxford Road Corridor and requested that the Chief Executive undertake public consultation on the draft (Minute Exe/17/082). In March 2018 we had considered the outcome of the consultations that had been undertaken and had endorsed and approved the principles in the Corridor Manchester Strategic Spatial Framework (Minute Exe/18/030). In November 2018 approval had been sought and given for public consultation on a new Strategic Regeneration Framework Guidance (SRFG) for the Oxford Road Corridor area.  The purpose of that draft framework guidance was to help to guide the development of four specific sites in a consistent way that recognised the Oxford Road Corridor’s physical and locational characteristics. The proposed SRFG was being brought forward by the Oxford Road Corridor Partners in relation to four development sites that were part of the overall Oxford Road Corridor Strategy: Upper Brook Street; the Former Elizabeth Gaskell Campus; Wilmott Street (the former Salvation Army site); and Birchall Way (Minute Exe/18/105).

The Strategic Director, Growth & Development now submitted a report on the outcome of a public consultation exercise with local residents, landowners, businesses and other stakeholders. Due to the large area covered by the Oxford Road Corridor area local residents, landowners, businesses and stakeholders were informed about the consultation online and via social media. The public consultation began on 22 March and closed on 3 May 2019. The online information had providing details about how readers could participate and engage in the process, and where to access the SRFG document. The draft Framework was also made available on the Council’s website and comments were invited on this. Social media posts were used on the Council’s Facebook and Twitter feeds throughout the consultation period to provide users with the link to the consultation documents. There had been five responses to the consultation: from two landowners (along with a joint statement), a higher education institution and a local charitable organisation.

For each of the sites encompassed within the revised guidance the report set out in detail the issues that had been raised by the respondents. It then proposed responses to those on a site-by-site basis, and set out changes that would be made to the draft to take into account the outcome of the consultation. Those changes were all agreed. It was also agreed that land within the ownership of the Council would be used to support the SRFG as opportunities came forward to do so. Having considered the matters that respondents had raised, the responses to those, and the proposed changes to the SRFG document, it was agreed that the SRFG should be adopted.

Decisions

1.         To note the outcome of the public consultation on the draft Strategic Regeneration Framework Guidance for the Oxford Road Corridor area.

2.         To approve the Strategic Regeneration Framework Guidance including proposed amendments in response to the consultation and request that the Planning and Highways Committee take the Framework into account as a material consideration when considering planning applications for the four sites covered by the SRFG.

3.         Agree land in Council ownership will be used to support the SRFG as opportunities are brought forward.