Developer threat to Wirral’s Green Belt

greenbelt

Under The Planning Act of 2004, all local councils were required to have a clear 'Local Plan' for development. This Plan would clearly state the areas to be protected and conserved, such as Wirral’s Green Belt, and those areas which would be earmarked for development for housing and commercial use

For 15 years, Wirral’s Labour Council dithered and delayed, until the Minister for Housing finally lost patience and, in 2018 ‘intervened’, ordering the Labour Leader Cllr. Phil Davies to get on with publishing its Local Plan or risk Government intervention. You can read his letter here .

With the tireless work of local campaign groups and Conservative Group Policy to oppose any new developments in Wirral’s Green Belt, a draft Local Plan was finally published in 2022. This Plan does not designate any Green Belt for development and, instead, requires developers to invest and regenerate the eastern side of the Borough.

However, in a cynical move, precipitated by years and years of delay by Labour politicians, the Town Hall’s Head of Planning has confirmed the receipt of seven valid planning applications for a total of 788 houses by the developer Leverhulme Estates who are attempting to get these applications passed prior to adoption of the Local Plan.

This is a full list of their applications all with Wirral’s Green Belt:

OUT/22/00941 – Dale View Close/ Gills Lane, 92 dwellings

OUT/22/00942 – Thorncroft Drive, 15 dwellings  

OUT/22/00943 – Milner Road, 120 dwellings

OUT/22/00944 – Barnston Road, 153 dwellings

OUT/22/00945 – West of Raby Hall, 38 dwellings

OUT/22/00946 – Glenwood Drive, 290 dwellings

OUT/22/00947 – East of Raby Hall, 80 dwellings

So, we need your help to continue our fight to protect Wirral’s precious Green Belt. Please complete our survey below to make sure we keep Wirral green.

Greenbelt Survey

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Q1. Do you think it is acceptable to release Green Belt in Wirral for housing developments?
Q2. Do you support Wirral’s draft Local Plan which protects Wirral’s existing Green Belt and designates the East of the Borough for regeneration and development?
Q3. Are you aware of how to make comments against any Planning Application?
Q4. Can you deliver 100 leaflets in your local area to let your neighbours know how they can help protect Wirral’s Green Belt?
Q5. In order to make this survey representative, how did you vote in the 2019 General Election?
This question contains special category data relating to your political opinion that may be shared with the wider Conservative Party for the purposes of Democratic Engagement with your permission. Please only answer this question if you consent to the processing of this data and sharing it with Conservative Party. If you do not answer this question then this data will not be shared.
Q6. How did you vote in the 2022 Local Elections?
This question contains special category data relating to your political opinion that may be shared with the wider Conservative Party for the purposes of Democratic Engagement with your permission. Please only answer this question if you consent to the processing of this data and sharing it with Conservative Party. If you do not answer this question then this data will not be shared.
On the scale of 0-10, 0 means there would be no chance of you voting for the party and 10 means you would be absolutely certain to vote for the party.

This question contains special category data relating to your political opinion that may be shared with the wider Conservative Party for the purposes of Democratic Engagement with your permission. Please only answer this question if you consent to the processing of this data and sharing it with Conservative Party. If you do not answer this question then this data will not be shared.

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