Dear Supporters,
Wirral Council are currently consulting on 4 new “evidence based documents” in support of the Local Plan. The Consultation finishes on 24th July 2020 at 5pm.
It is very important that as many people as possible comment on one of these evidenced based documents in particular – “H6 Exploring the Computation of Housing Need in Wirral in 2020” – commissioned by the Council from Liverpool University.
The report is related to the inflated ‘Housing Need’ figure of 12,000 (calculated by using the “Standard Methodology”) and is arguably the most important because, if the figure is substantially reduced, there can be no justification whatsoever for considering ANY Green Belt Release, and local concerns over particular sites and other aspects should fall away.
The Wirral Green Space Alliance have serious concerns about the content of this University Report which concludes that Wirral DOES NOT have “Exceptional Local Circumstances” to justify a using an alternative approach to calculating housing need, rather than using the Standard Methodology.
The University comes to this conclusion by looking at JUST ONE FACTOR in its search for exceptional circumstances. It has simply compared population statistics and demographics with other Local Planning Authorities. i.e it has simply looked at the data which is input into the “Standard Method”
The University has failed to consider many other factors which could be deemed to be “Exceptional Circumstances”. The study has completed excluded the ‘exceptional circumstances’ of Wirral both in terms of scale of need and opportunity: it has some of the most deprived communities but also the greatest extent of 'brownfield' land in the Country, vacant and convertible land and buildings, inactive and underactive Dockland, an undeveloped and attractive Waterfront, and more. But these factors have not been deemed worthy of study as ‘exceptional circumstances’ by the Council / University
The sheer difference between the 12,000 figure and the much lower range calculated using official local and correct national data with a recognised methodology in itself can be an ‘exceptional circumstance’ (as per legal advice).
Please will you send your comments on the University Report to the Forward Planning Team at localplan@wirral.gov.uk stating your name and address and stating the you are responding to the consultation on “H6 Exploring the Computation of Housing Need in Wirral in 2020”. (You simply have to email, you DO NOT have to use the online portal)
ITPAS ( a member of the Wirral Green Space Alliance) have produced an short guide and critique which may help you in your response. (see photo attached) The University Report, itself, can be read by following the link below.
In short, you need to state that the Liverpool University Report is flawed, it is wrong in its conclusion and it has only considered narrow factors when justifying that there are no “exceptional circumstances”. The Council should be considering numerous other factors to conclude that there ARE “exceptional circumstances” to justify using an alternative approach to calculating housing need.
Please also copy your local Councillors into your email to ensure that all Councillors are aware of the issue.
Thank you for your help and support, it really is important that as many people as possible comment on this report!