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Wirral Council has made another commitment to protecting its green belts, despite targeting to build more homes, up to 1,622 a year.
Councillors agreed that council leader Councillor Paula Basnett will write to central government seeking greater flexibility on housing targets, according to Birkenhead News.
A motion passed by councillors states the council agrees it should be part of the fight to solve the national housing crisis, but only in a way that is "realistic, sustainable, evidence-based and democratically accountable".
The motion stated: "A brownfield first approach remains the right strategy for Wirral, supporting regeneration whilst protecting the Green Belt."
Councillor Basnett said: "We know Wirral needs more homes. Homes that young people can afford. Homes for families to grow in. Homes for older residents who want to downsize. But more importantly, affordable and social housing."
She also noted the council has a duty to ensure that the number of homes they're asked to deliver reflects the interest and circumstances of the Wirral. She added that it's "not about saying no to new homes," but rather saying "yes to the right homes" in the right locations.
However, the chair of the council's planning committee, Councillor Stuart Kelly, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he still has concerns. He explained that under the new housing targets, the council will not be able to demonstrate it has the five-year supply of land, where homes can be delivered.
Councillor Kelly has proposed combining housing targets across councils in the Liverpool City Region, subject to government approval. He believes a shared regional target would be easier to achieve, as Wirral has limited land available for new housing development.
He said that if an agreement cannot be reached, the release of green belt land for development would likely be necessary, something Councillor Kelly said "no one on Wirral wants to see."
Property management company Leverhulme Estates continues to identify areas of Wirral's green belt as potential development sites. In its vision document, the company says that while it supports the council's commitment to brownfield regeneration, "the reality is that there will need to be some release of green belt land".
Mr Kelly said that even if the planning committee rejects applications for housing on green belt land, the council would struggle to defend those decisions at appeal if it cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
