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Work is set to begin on a new Wirral Local Plan, just a year after the council published its 15-year planning blueprint, according to Birkenhead News.
So, why the change? Well, according to a report to the council's Economy, Regeneration & Housing Committee, the housing guidelines that the plans were made are now outdated. The outdated plans pledged to build 800 homes, but the new target is double that.
New national policies have more than doubled that target to 1,622 homes annually. Under the updated rules, if a council's Local Plan housing target falls below 80% of the new figure, work must begin on a replacement plan.
The committee has now given the green light for prep work to begin on a new plan. The council will formally publish a 'Notice of Intention to Commence' by the end of June, with an indicative adoption date of June 2029.
Committee members did not want to revisit the issue. Councillor Gail Jenkinson described the agenda item as "one none of us wanted to see. We had all hoped it had gone away for quite a long time."
During the meeting, Cllr Andrew Gardner raised concerns about the green belt, asking officers: "With the doubling on numbers, there is going to be speculation about the green belt. Could you just confirm, for the record, that green belt policy and green belt reviews will remain within the remit of the decisions of Wirral Borough Council, and we won't have anything forced upon us?"
A council officer confirmed that such decisions will remain with the local authority.
