An Open Letter, emailed today, to the 4 Wirral MP’s, from the Wirral Green Space Alliance, regarding the Government’s Proposals to require the Wirral to build 28000 houses increasing the population by 20% (60,000)

“Dear Matthew Patrick MP, Alison McGovern MP, Angela Eagle MP and Justin Madders MP,

I am writing both as a West Wirral constituent and as Convenor of 'Wirral Green Space Alliance' (WGSA), representing over 30 Groups covering all four Constituencies.  As such, I trust that you are permitted by convention and interest to respond, and would appreciate early replies as time is of the essence.  Thank you in anticipation.

I can appreciate the awkward position you are in, having previously supported Wirral's long-overdue emerging Local Plan (now hopefully in the final stages of the Examination before technical Consultation and Adoption) and made repeated solemn pre-Election promises to defend Wirral's Green Belt (and Greenspaces) and are now faced with an unworkable 'Change' to the Planning System and imposition of mandated Housing Targets which are no longer based upon 'locally assessed need', local knowledge or common sense, or the application of available current ONS Local Data, or the principles laid down by the Office of National Statistics (and the Institute), or the involvement or views of notable Population and Housing independent experts and advisers (such as Prof Ludi Simpson and Prof David Gregg), or the overwhelmingly and oft-expressed wishes of the Public, or even the bases of Wirral's emerging Local Plan.

The email below and the attached short documents, sent to Member Groups of WGSA and other Contacts, comprise part of the explanation of the Group's Concerns and why the proposed 'Change' to the Planning System is considered to be 'unworkable' (on any level apart from the interests of developers and landowners), unfair and so inappropriate and destructive particularly for Wirral.  They also suggest how interested Residents might navigate the unwieldly and complex Consultation procedure, including the two 80+-page technical Documents with 106 Questions (during the Holiday Period), and help address the inevitable prospect of around 12,000 unnecessary houses being built on the current Green Belt, with very few of them likely to be on the limited scope of so-called 'Grey Belt' land.

This is an awful way to treat over two decades of work by the Council regarding its Local Plan (which is about to bear substantially more fruit in the short term) or the extensive voluntary work of Local Groups and committed individuals (such as myself and colleagues) with our increasing efforts ever since 2015; but more particularly this is no way to treat the efforts to help and improve the prospects of the most deprived Residents of Wirral or see run-down areas rejuvenated through its exciting and ambitious Regeneration plans.

Apart from providing yourselves with our thoughts and opinions, and an attempt to persuade, this email is intended to solicit your views and intentions over these issues, and, if persuaded and supported, how you might advise on our further steps.

Kind regards,

John Heath.

Convenor of WGSA &

ITPAS Planning Rep.”

So far, the 4 Wirral MPs have been rather silent on these proposals. The proposals will put the Council’s plans to regenerate Birkenhead and the East of the Wirral at massive risk while encouraging Developers to build on our precious Green Belt at a time of Climate and Ecological Emergency. The proposals are an ill thought out “one size fits all” change to the Standard Method for calculating housing need which will see Wirral’s housing targets increase to 1755 houses per year while, perversely, seeing London’s housing target drop from 100,000 per year to 80,000. This makes no sense and will not deliver what this country needs, which is truly affordable homes in the right places.

Please email your MP and ask them if they intend to stand up for Wirral and oppose the Government’s proposals:

Wirral West: matthew.patrick.mp@parliament.uk

Wallasey: angela.eagle.mp@parliament.uk

Birkenhead: alison.mcgovern.mp@parliament.uk

Ellesmere Port and Bromborough: justin.madders.mp@parliament.uk