Greater Manchester’s new spatial plan

Greater Manchester’s new spatial framework sets out the land-use and transport infrastructure priorities for the conurbation, and is accompanied by an update to Transport for Greater Manchester’s transport strategy to 2040

16 November 2020

The northeast growth corridor (top) is focused on the M62. Major transport improvements are planned to support the economy of the airport and its surroundings in the south (bottom)

New and improved transport connections feature prominently in Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s new spatial framework.

The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) has taken years to reach this stage. A draft version released in 2016 generated huge controversy, largely because of the amount of Green Belt land proposed for development. Andy Burnham was elected Greater Manchester’s mayor the following year and pledged to rewrite the plan, reducing the...