Long-awaited Wirral Local Plan takes step forward
The planning framework, which will replace the existing Unitary Development Plan adopted more than 20 years ago, has been submitted to the government for examination.
Wirral’s local plan outlines where and how the local council wants to see development come forward between now and 2037.
The framework will guide the delivery of 13,360 homes across the peninsula and proposes no Green Belt release.
The document’s submission to the government for inspection follows a period of public consultation held earlier this year.
“This draft local plan will set out the future direction of Wirral’s ambitious regeneration plans while ensuring we protect our precious Green Belt and green spaces,” said Cllr Janette Williamson, leader of Wirral Council.
“This is more than a planning document, this is a roadmap for Wirral’s future, outlining our vision of how our borough can fulfil its potential and showing how it will meet the needs of residents and businesses over the next 15 years.”
Around 8,000 of the 13,360 homes required during the plan period could be delivered as part of the £1bn regeneration of Birkenhead town centre, and Peel L&P and Wirral Council’s 500-acre docklands mixed-use scheme Wirral Waters.
As well as homes, the regeneration of Birkenhead town centre features plans for 1.4m sq ft of commercial space.
At Wirral Waters, the council and Peel L&P are hoping to deliver 13,000 homes across the 20-year lifespan of the project, as well as the 1m sq ft MEA Park industrial scheme also features within plans for Wirral Waters.
The submission of the draft local plan to government comes more than two years after the original deadline came and went.
In July 2020, Wirral Council wrote to the government to request more time to draw up the plan, having missed the previous month’s deadline.
The council has been grilled on its position on Green Belt release since 2018 when it published an earlier version of the Wirral Local Plan that recommended 50 protected sites should be released for residential development.
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Hope that they’re going to employ more doctors, dentists and nurses. And so on for all the extra people that will be coming to the wirral. Have they seen the pressure arrow park hospital is under right now.
By Anonymous
Is the submitted plan available to view? if so please will you share the link?
By planner
Hi planner, a link has been added to the bottom of the story – this is Wirral Council’s dedicated Local Plan webpage. Hopefully, you can find everything you’re looking for here. Cheers, Dan
By Dan Whelan