A NEW version of the controversial housing blueprint that could result in more than 16,000 homes being built in Bolton will be published next June.

Following his election as the region’s mayor in May, Andy Burnham pledged to rewrite the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework — which was heavily criticised by campaigners desperate to protect huge swathes of green belt land.

The framework identifies land that can be developed for housing and business up to 2035.

The 27,000 responses to the first consultation on the plans will be published in September, before a second draft is developed in the new year.

Following the publication of the second draft, which has a target date of June, 2018, there will be another 12-week public consultation.

Paul Dennett, mayor of Salford, is leading the rewrite of the controversial plans.

He said:“The Mayor of Greater Manchester and council leaders have discussed the next steps for the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.

“To do justice to the 27,000 responses received as part of the initial consultation, and to demonstrate continued trust and transparency in the process, we agreed a timetable with a series of steps leading up to the publication of the revised plan.

“This process will start in September with the publication of the responses to the initial consultation. This will be followed later in the year by the publication of data and associated sources of information such as population estimates which will help us calculate the requirements for housing and employment. Some of this information isn’t yet available, for example we are waiting for the government to publish its national methodology for calculating housing need, which we expect will now be released in the autumn.

“The second draft of the plan will be developed in the new year, with a view to publish it in June 2018. Following publication of the draft plan, there will be a 12-week consultation with the public.

“We will, of course, continue to listen to and engage with the public as the new draft of the plan is developed, as well as keeping the public updated on progress.”