Forums Forums Local News More threats to Wirral's Green Belt

Yes unfortunately I had the pleasure of watching this live.

Its always someone else's fault!

There are ways they can take control as they speak of. Its the called the SHLAA. If WBC didn't apply the growth scenarios they insisted went into the SHLAA to support Phil Davies other role in the Liverpool city region of growth and enterprise then we would have a more realistic number, Using ONS data of 3.4% over the next planning period.

This would equate to approx 10,000 extra people or (approx 278 dpa)

The SHLAA with WBC growth scenario (that they, WBC choose) equates to an extra 28,800 extra people or (approx 800 dpa)

To take back control as they discuss they (WBC) must scrap the existing SHLAA and write another using the correct information. This is how they regain control, I fear though it isn't what Phil actually wants as it doesn't align with his other role in Liverpool city region or his plans for a golf course.

A 28,800 population explosion on the Wirral over 15 years? that would require massive investment and serious employers setting up substantial operations on the Wirral. It just isn't going to happen.

Whilst the sham consultation plays out though (as we have seen with all other issues on the Wirral recently) we will all be left worse off again.

It would be refreshing to see WBC actually make some positive moves to doing something about this rather than continuously passing on the blame. They can stop this, they just don't want to.

But the SHLAA is only an informatory document, it is not a plan. The Government will still harshly challenge any figures that deviate from theirs.

Every Council that I have checked has the same problem, they are all releasing greenbelt land against the wishes of the Council and their constituents, its not a problem unique to Wirral, the common factor is the Government.

You only have to look at the planning appeals that have gone to the Government and overturned the Councils decision to realise we are on a hiding to nothing while this Government is in power.

The LGA should be acting as a whole and putting the Government under pressure. Even many Tory Councils are under considerable pressure now, there has to be a point where the LGA has to use its power of numbers.

Sorry yes i meant the SHMA 2016 not SHLAA.

Well lets hope WBC put up a better fight.

Will have a look at the LGA website. Have they done anything for any council that you know of regarding greenebelt?

So the new greenbelt boundary according to WBC is the M53 and the trainline to north wales!

Pensby and Irby will be merging due to WBC use of settlement areas

The M53 / A41 corridor will be filled with developments.

No word on any development for Birkenhead or New Ferry!

WBC where unable to answer any questions raised at the 'consultations' yesterday, some where quite technical granted but most where very basic yet WBC failed to answer any.

Site selection takes into account areas and boundaries that WBC know cannot built on but are being used to create a 'substantially enclosed' status of land parcels. This makes there removal from greenbelt much easier even though the area that can actually be developed has a completely different boundary that would fail the criteria for being 'substantially enclosed'

We wont be able to view answers from other residents either until the consultation has closed! seems to be a one way process in an attempt to 'tick' the consulted box yet there is know one at WBC capable of answering any questions raised.

Anyone get their letter from our council leader blaming peel holdings for renaging on their promise to build 13000 new homes and not ruling out giving up greenbelt land but intimating they will challenge the governments figures. Already merged upton with moreton with new housing estate on manor drive. Looks like the play park opposite is getting geared up for more housing ....big pipes being put in along moreton spur.

NPFF section 60

To determine the minimum number of homes needed, strategic policies should be informed by a local housing need assessment, conducted using the standard method in national planning guidance – unless exceptional circumstances justify an alternative approach which also reflects current and future demographic trends and market signals. In addition to the local housing need figure, any needs that cannot be met within neighbouring areas should also be taken into account in establishing the amount of housing to be planned for.

We have exceptional circumstances so Big Phil should have already been looking at this before this sham Consultation.

I've reviewed the evidence available at Wirral.gov. It is full of errors and incomplete. It has been cobbled together and makes rash decisions like the removal of Eastham Country Park from the greenbelt because they have taken all of the land parcels out of the greenbelt in between!

The biggest con though is there use of Urban sprawl and claiming sites are highly enclosed using boundaries that cannot be developed upto. This means sites that include parks woodland, nature reserves etc are classed as highly enclosed when in reality the small proportion that could potentially be developed would infact be poor enclosed.

I think the only way out of this now is to do the work for WBC, there hearts aernt in it to save our greenbelt and from the performance I witnessed last night they are not capable of producing accurate information to be put forward in the Local Plan.

They have rolled out old SHLAA info because they are not prepared. No transport study, No flood assessment, Highways input lacking yet sites are being assessed and housing numbers calculated!

I was hoping the meeting on the 10th Sept would align our councillors to protect our greenbelt but from I witnessed its full steam ahead from WBC with no answer to any questions raised so I see the meeting turning into a complete bun fight.

Last resort but emigrating is a serious consideration now, Zero confidence in WBC, they are about to destroy the Wirral and wont even put up a fight.

I just see the whole thing designed for Liverpool overspill.

Phil's words :

In February 2018 the Leader of Wirral Council, Councillor Phil Davies stated “I am not prepared to allow our Green Belt land to be built on. I am resolute about that commitment. It is the Jewel in Wirral’s Crown and greatly valued by our residents”


What changed Mr Davies ?

https://www.change.org/p/councillor...development-brownfield-first?signed=true

Perhaps houses should be built on politician's gardens before infiltrating green belt.

Would never fly, they all live on unsuitable sites according to the maps!

On a serious note though it is interesting to see that from the sites that have been shortlisted WBC already know half are not viable, even with the sites proposed when the real parcels are revealed it still wont meet the numbers WBC want to meet.

I suspect there is another twist in this saga, Big Phil might just get his Garden Villages at Clatterbridge and north of Brimstage after all.

Take a look at WBC Core Strategy for Wirral.

https://www.wirral.gov.uk/sites/def...0Wirral%20Spatial%20Options%20Report.pdf

The New land grab is in direct conflict with the broad spatial areas created.

WBC have effectively abandoned Spatial Area 1 (Birkenhead) in direct contradiction with this core strategy.


Some other interesting numbers in there like population growth. Worth a look when wanting to challenge the planners at the consultations.

Sections 5 and 6 of that Core Strategy specifically mention the priorities with the greenbelts included as the lowest priority and include maps of the potential areas that may need to be used..

If your referring to the third option then perhaps but there are two preferred options before that one you selected both of which WBC preferred and if memory serves me correct they adopted option 1 not 3. The core strategy clearly states in section 5 for option 1:

Thisprioritywouldapplytoallformsofdevelopment,includinghousing,retail, employment and services. Outside the regeneration priority areas the emphasis would be on maintaining existing patterns of provision, replacing existing facilities andprovidingforidentifiedlocalneeds,unlessspecificstrategicopportunitiescould identified,suchastheWirralInternationalBusinessPark,theManchesterShipCanal
Core Strategy for Wirral - Spatial Options Report100
CreatedwithLimehouseSoftwarePublisherCoreStrategyforWirral-SpatialOptionsReport
andtheHoylakeGolfResort. Previouslyundevelopedgreenfieldsiteswouldnotbe developed until previously developed brownfield opportunities had first been taken up.

What this shows is there was a plan but WBC have failed to deliver it. Jumping the gun now and trying to back fit a far worse scenario than option 3 is ridiculous.

They even highlight he pressures placed on the A41 and Spital road in this strategy but have decided to load them up even more with no ability to ease the burden! Genius!

Spatial Area 1 is no longer Birkenhead, WBC appear to have a new flawed strategy and make Bromborough Spatial Area 1. Birkenhead will be allowed to wither and die.

The evidence they are presenting isnt even complete for the consultation and is full of mistakes.

I hope everyone is pointing out the mistakes to there local councillors for the 10th Sept. This Council has to go, they have no backbone and couldn't fight a wet lettuce.

Option 1 was on the assumption that Wirral Waters would meet most of the growth requirement which of course isn't going to happen on time if at all.

One annoying factor about Peel is that they own the Cammell Laird land and could be quite nasty, as indeed they threatened a while ago.

Peel acquired MDHC for about £800m, I would be very interested to know if Wirral got any of that money. I would also like to know how much the Cammell Laird land raised for Wirral when it was sold to MDHC/Peel and where that money went.

Peel have a dominant amount of prime land in Merseyside and a monopoly on docklands, there should be controls over this monopolistic empire. They are controlling development in many areas not just Merseyside and abusing their position to the cost of the public amenity and finances.

So tonight we have just witnessed the Labour council admit they are moving ahead with the release of green belt. They can stop this yet have chosen not to.

Liberal and Conservative Councillors all opposed, Only Labour Councillors in support!!!

What an absolute disgrace, these people aren't councillors, they are crooks, they certainly don't represent the people of Wirral.


There are seven Labour individuals who will against the will of everyone else vote the destruction of our green belt through, Why? What's in it for them? When they state they don't want to yet are backing it all the way when it comes to the actual vote, serious questions have to raised regarding there true motive for this.