Developer leans on Wirral for Bromborough approval

Elan Homes has urged the council to give plans for 104 properties at the Octel Sports Club site the green light, claiming it has waited since the beginning of 2023 for a determination.

According to Elan, conversations around the site’s redevelopment began four years ago and culminated in the submission of two applications early last year; one for the homes and another for replacement sports facilities.

The replacement sports facilities include new football pitches at the former Prices Sports Club at Bromborough Pool, and a clubhouse for Bromborough & Eastham Junior Football Club.

18 months on, the statutory time limit for determining an application has long since passed, prompting Elan to put pressure on the council to make a decision.

“Elan Homes is now asking that the two planning applications are taken to planning committee for a decision at the earliest possible opportunity,” a spokesperson for the developer said.

“We believe that approval of the two planning applications will enable the council to satisfy demand for new housing in the short-term, reducing the pressure for Green Belt land to be released for development and addressing the recognised need for dedicated local sports facilities.”

The spokesperson thinks approval of the schemes would “send a clear message” to landowners and developers about the council’s willingness to develop brownfield sites in the borough.

The pressure on all local authorities to up their game when it comes to delivering homes has ramped up following the recently announced change to how the government calculates local housing need.

Labour’s new algorithm suggests Wirral needs to build 1,755 homes a year, up from 728 calculated using the previous method.

Wirral Council Leader, Cllr Paul Stuart, said the authority is “aware” of the proposed increase in housing targets. However, he said that national planning reform “does not propose changes to the approach in which a loss of sports facilities should be considered by the council”.

“The Octel Sports Club site has not been allocated for housing in either existing Unitary Development Plan or emerging Local Plan,” he said.

“The site has been progressed by Elan Homes as a windfall development.”

He added that there is “no intention” to release any further as part of the emerging Local Plan.

“The council remains committed to development on brownfield land,” he said.

A decision by the Planning Inspectorate to refuse permission for another sports club to housing scheme in Birkenhead “robustly supports” the council’s approach, Stuart said.

“We are pleased that the appeal made by Birkenhead School to overturn the decision to refuse a planning application to build 33 homes on a sports ground has been dismissed.”

The school said the sale of the disused playing fields on Noctorum Lane would have unlocked investment in a range of community sports facilities.

“The inspector’s decision noted the potential benefits to two community clubs, recognised there is currently no prospect of Noctorum Field’s use, and that it’s development would have no detrimental impact on highway safety, drainage or biodiversity,” said school bursar Mark Turner.

“Notwithstanding this, the opportunity to achieve the proposed benefits now, sadly, appears foregone with this decision.”