Statement from the Wirral Green Space Alliance regarding reports in local media that Green Belt Land is set to be excluded from the Wirral Local Plan:
"Wirral Council still putting Green Belt at Risk!
At the very moment Leader of Wirral Council, Pat Hackett, announced the belated Local Plan would NOT involve any Release of Green Belt, Senior Officers were saying that this was just the 'Preferred Option' and the Draft Local Plan, due for Public Consultation in January 2020, WOULD include Options involving loss and development of Green Belt for new housing.
This comes hot on the heels of an admission that, despite denials at the time, last year the Council's undisclosed policy WAS to Release Green Belt for housing development and reap increased Council Tax. Doubts persist as to the Council's aims as they refuse to reduce the ridiculously high Housing Target of 12,045 new homes, despite a figure less than half of that being confirmed by their own Consultants, three University Reports, a series of expert Papers presented by WGSA and no such requirement being insisted upon by MHCLG (the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government).
If the 'Target' remains at 12,045, this will give developers' legal experts and planning consultants a much easier task to cast doubt on the deliverability of so many 'brownfield' sites and argue that Green Belt sites can help this figure be reached. This could result in significant loss of Green Belt, significant gain in Council revenues and cries of "it's not our fault".
So, the fight to Save Wirral's Green Belt goes on!!"