Dear Supporters,
THE DRAFT LOCAL PLAN HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED.
OPTION 2A includes the potential release of the following Green Belt Land:
Bromborough and Eastham – 368 houses
Saughall Massie – 240 houses
West Kirby – 261 houses
Heswall – 337 houses
Thingwall – 481 houses
Irby – 1246 houses
(See page page 116 of the Draft Local Plan for more info)
Option 2b is for one enormous development of 2584 houses on fields west of Barnston Road Heswall. (see page 122 for further information)
The Draft Local Plan has been issued and the Council will be asked to approve putting this draft forward for public Consultation, at a Council meeting on the on the 13th January.
see Agenda for the meeting and the Draft Local Plan via the following link:
We are requesting that as many people as possible attend the Council meeting on Monday 13th Jan at Wallasey Town Hall at 6pm, to ensure that the Councillors know that the public are watching and listening to what they say.
As feared, the Council are insisting on sticking to their “target” of 803 new homes per year (12000 over the Local Plan period), despite studies by local experts, Consultants and a University of Liverpool Study (commissioned by the Council) which have all indicated that the true housing need figure for the Wirral is significantly lower.
The Council Agenda item 3a states: “The Preferred Option is for Urban Intensification. However, to meet the evidential requirements for deliverability and developability of our development needs over the Plan period it is also necessary to consult on a range of other options should we not be able meet all our requirements by Urban Intensification alone. These other options WOULD INVOLVE RELEASE OF LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT WHICH IS CURRENTLY DESIGNATED AS GREEN BELT"
"Therefore, the Consultation document sets out a total of four options, which are Urban Intensification (Option 1A); Urban Intensification with stepped delivery (Option 1B); Urban Intensification with Dispersed Green Belt Release (Option 2A); and Urban Intensification with a Single Urban Expansion into the Green Belt (Option 2B).”
“To be included in the Local Plan any site that is identified for new housing development must be ‘deliverable’ or ‘developable’ within the Plan period of 2020 to 2035, as defined in the Glossary of the National Planning Policy Framework.”
“To be considered ‘deliverable’ a site should be available now, offer a suitable location for development now, and be achievable with a reasonable prospect that housing will be delivered on the site within 5 years.”
“To be considered ‘developable’ a site should be in a suitable location for housing development with a reasonable prospect that they will be available and could be viably developed at the point envisaged”
"Section 4.2 of the Issues and Options document sets out the ‘deliverable’ and ‘developable’ land supply at April 2019, which shows a potential SHORTFALL OF 2444 NEW DWELLINGS OVER THE PLAN PERIOD." (i.e if sticking to a Brownfiield only policy)
"A list of potential additional urban housing allocations is set out in Appendix 4.2 and the impact of the potential additional supply, which could mean that no land is needed to be released from the Green Belt, is set out in Table 4.2 of the Issues and Options document."
"It is important to note that this higher land supply CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED if these further changes can be shown to be ‘deliverable’ or ‘developable’ by the time the Plan is submitted to the Secretary of State and that this uncertainty over the future housing land supply means that the Council will be required to show other alternative options, which include the possible release of land from the Green Belt."
"The Issues and Options document therefore also sets out two main Green Belt options, that would each be able to deliver the 2,500 homes that may be needed, if the potential additional urban housing allocations identified cannot be added to the existing urban land supply.”
This means that if the Council fail to show that the additional housing allocations are “deliverable and developable” or fail to convince the Local Plan Inspector that any of all the other Brownfield sites are “deliverable” and “developable” then Green Belt land will have to be released for development.
We are extremely concerned that ( Cabinet Member for the Local Plan) , Councillor Anita Leech’s statement that, "There is a considerable way to go ..." is potentially an admission that the Document is being issued prematurely, without the necessary level of work having been completed by Council Officers and Consultants. Rather, it is being published now simply to keep to the timetable of the 'Action Plan' agreed with the Government and, as such, is likely to hamper outcomes, give unnecessary advantage to developers and needlessly risk Green Belt.
Please try to attend the meeting on 13th Jan. Thankyou for your support