It gives me great pleasure to inform you that at the Extraordinary Council Meeting on Monday, 31st March, Councillors of all Parties unanimously ‘adopted’ the
Wirral Local Plan,
with special mention being given for our invaluable contribution over many years.
So, thank you for your support.
ITPAS commenced its work on the Wirral Local Plan in 2014, becoming Founder Member of the
Wirral Green Space Alliance (WGSA) in 2017, a voluntary consortium of over thirty Community, Leisure, Environmental, Heritage and Nature groups, along with expert individuals and advisers
acting together as an effective working and pressure organisation.
Whilst not all our objectives were achieved, the scale of the result should not be underestimated.
The Strategy of a Regeneration-led, ‘Brownfield-only’ Plan was ours, requiring a fundamental change of Council Authority and approach, convincing the Council that there was a better way, helping them to be successful against overwhelming odds at the months-long adversarial ‘Leverhulme Estates’ Public Inquiry, a High Court Judicial Review, and the equally months-long Local Plan ‘Examination in Public’.
Wirral’s Local Plan is unique in several respects, notably its being the only local plan nationally to be ‘Brownfield-only’ with all of its Green Belt protected from release and development.
The task now is to DELIVER on and improve the Regeneration, Housing, Infrastructure and Public Service proposals. Failure to achieve to target could bring about the same outcome as would have been the case had the Local Plan been refused by the independent ‘Planning Inspectorate’, namely opening the way for ‘sustainable development’ in an uncontrolled fashion across our treasured Green Belt and other spaces.
So, there is a continuing role for both ITPAS and WGSA, and for your valued support.
This Plan is a crucial document that outlines the development strategy for our Borough through
to 2040 and hopefully beyond - shaping the future of Wirral.
It involves much more than Housing, establishing up-to-date Policies for all aspects of life of its Residents, Visitors and Wildlife, including Employment, Health, Transport, Welfare, Leisure provision and more.
Whilst this is a necessary and pleasing milestone, there are serious RISKS, which include a possible
Judicial Review of the Plan’s ‘soundness’ by its well-resourced opponents; Government Intervention including any imposition of an even-further-inflated Housing Target
(totally unjustified by official ‘Need’ Data); and the huge task involved in DELIVERY.
We are glad to see the Council have accepted an Outline Business Case by Deloitte’s for
necessary changes and increases in skilled personnel.
The Inspectors required mainly minor ‘Main Modifications’ to the Plan but none of a strategic nature and, although already unjustifiably high, the ‘Housing Requirement’ remains at an average of 800 dwellings p.a., a daunting target made more achievable by their acceptance of our proposal for a ‘Stepped Trajectory’, whereby success at a lower-than-average figure in the earlier years could encourage specialist
Regeneration developers to become involved and add to the rate of delivery.
Reassuringly, the adopted Plan remains unchanged from the Submitted Document in respect of the ITPAS area and most locations outside of the ‘Regeneration Areas’.
All Green Belt’ and our other Local Green Spaces remain protected.
This Plan officially replaces the Local Plan (UDP) from 2000. It is the result of years of dedicated work by ITPAS, the Council and Wirral Green Space Alliance. Without their persistence and expertise, the Plan would not have been brownfield-focused but would have included Green Belt development.
It has been a long and challenging journey, but our collective efforts have made a significant impact;
and we would like to extend sincere thanks to Members for their support and encouragement.
John Heath (ITPAS Planning Officer and WGSA Convenor)
The Local Plan – Wirral for the next generation
13 March 2025
Wirral Council has been told by Planning Inspectors it can move ahead to formally adopt what is believed to be the country’s first Brownfield-Only Local Plan.
Following the independent examination of the Wirral Local Plan by the Planning Inspectors appointed by the Secretary of State, the report of the Planning Inspectors’ recommendations has now been received.
A copy of the Inspectors’ report can be viewed at https://www.wirral.gov.uk/new-local-plan and will be placed for public inspection at public libraries within the Borough,
in the week commencing 17.03.2025, during their normal opening hours.
Details of your nearest public library, including opening times, can be viewed at: https://www.wirral.gov.uk/libraries-and-archives/find-library
Further information and copies of the report can be obtained on request from the Council’s Forward Planning Team by e-mail at localplan@wirral.gov.uk, by telephone on 0151 691 8235 or by post at Wirral Council, PO Box 290, Wallasey, CH27 9FQ, subject to a charge for printing and postage.
Vital report for Wirral's Green Belt Future
This vital document sets out how the borough should be developed over the next 18 years.
Focused on brownfield sites the Plan allocates land for housing, including supported living for the ageing population. It also identifies potential sites for creating new jobs and indicates how infrastructure to support this could be delivered, including schools, open space and helping people move around the borough.
The Local Plan is the result of years of hard work from councillors, officers and the community, including extensive consultations which has seen the draft plan shaped by our residents and businesses.
It will replace Wirral’s current Unitary Development Plan that dates back to 2000, and it provides an
up-to-date policy framework to help us shape the future of our borough.
Many thanks to WGSA, ITPAS members and volunteers who supported, protested and wrote to the council officers and MPs in order to protect the Green and Pleasant land which is the WIRRAL Peninsula.
Congratulations to all of you and allow yourself a period of celebration.
The Local Plan is the foundation of the regeneration programme, one of the largest in the country.
It supports new homes (in the right places), employment opportunities now and for the next generation,
and helps make this borough more prosperous for everyone.
The Local Plan was subject to public examination led by the Planning Inspectors who subsequently
told the council the Plan required some changes, known as Main Modifications.
These have now been made and agreed with the Inspectors who say that the Plan is sound
and that the council can move to adopt the document.
Wirral’s Local Plan has the capacity to deliver a real and lasting transformation for this borough.
The Inspectors' recognise and support the council’s brownfield-only strategy.
The Plan focuses on developing previously used land, mainly in the east of the borough.
By doing this, the aim will be to protect our rich natural heritage i.e. Wirral Green Belt.
The letter from the planning inspectors regarding the Local Plan is published here.
ITPAS continues to look for ways to improve and enhance our communities. Our activities and actions are for the benefit of all the residents and this is only achieved by mebers continued support, subscriptions and donations.
As we you have seen, the 1st phase of the Irby Village planters was completed in June / July 2024 with a total cost for materials at £3500.
ITPAS continue to maintain the planters but if you would like to help please get in touch.
ITPAS maintain all the flower beds and shrubs in
Irby Village, replacing the current flowers as needed during the October / November season.
Anyone wanting to help with this is very welcome,
so please contact us
GREAT NEWS - LIBRARY TO RE-OPEN
After many years of ITPAS pushing for the Library to re-open, it will finally happen.
The Library is to re-open with the lease transferred
from the council to a private company.
ITPAS will continue to maintain the shrubs, flowers and surrounding areas as well as
other activities to be confirmed.
We do not have the full details yet, but we are to hold discussions with the new leaseholders over the coming days in order to ascertain the
full extent of the change.
Once we have the full details we will advise.
We continue to hold events and activities and invite you to attend as many as possible. If we do not have your support and attendance we will be forced to stop the activities.
Currently we hold multiple Irby Village Tidy-Up sessions and ITPAS talks providing really interesting and information presentations concerning our villages and Wirral areas.
During our regular councillor meetings, we discuss the improvements and replacements needed in order to keep the villages looking their best.
Therefore you will have seen x3 new bins to replace the old and damaged ones. We are still pushing for the replacement of the remaining x5 bins. However these are in the 52 day queue. We continue to push.
We also need to replace / refurbish x5 wooden benches in Irby Village together with some rusty signposts. These again have been put in the "ToDo" queue and we await a response. However it may be that members can help with this next year.
The council are doing there best re the potholes but its hard for the contractors to keep up with the repairs. We will continue to monitor progress.
We are also discussing the council 20mph speed limit and parking opposite Roslin Road and on the top of Porto Hey road.
We need to maintain our membership numbers in order to continue with our work. We are all volunteers but we need funds to pay for our activities. If we fail to support our areas and amenities we all will see the demise of the wonderful areas we live in.
Please ask your friends and family to support us by joining ITPAS HERE.
Also if you can DONATE to our activities
Many thanks and see you soon.
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