Wirral Council has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding its extensive green belt, even as housing targets have more than doubled to 1,622 new homes per year and developers continue to advance plans for new housing.
Councillors have voted to ask the Government for greater flexibility to ensure that the need for new homes does not come at the expense of the green belt. The council’s leader, Cllr Paula Basnett, will write to central government to outline Wirral’s case for more lenient housing targets.
Motion Passed on Sustainable Housing
A motion passed by councillors states that the council agrees to play its part in solving the national housing crisis, but only in a way that is “realistic, sustainable, evidence-based and democratically accountable.” The motion also notes: “A brownfield first approach remains the right strategy for Wirral, supporting regeneration whilst protecting the Green Belt.”
Cllr 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. But we also have a responsibility that the number of homes we're asked to deliver reflects the character and circumstances of our borough.” She added: “This is not about saying no to new homes. It's about saying yes to the right homes, in the right places.”
Concerns Over Five-Year Land Supply
Cllr Stuart Kelly, chair of the council’s planning committee, expressed concerns that under the new targets the council will be unable to demonstrate a five-year supply of land available for housing. He suggested pooling the targets of all Liverpool City Region councils, which would require government approval. He argued that while Wirral struggles to find building land, a combined regional target would be more achievable. Without such an agreement, green belt land would likely have to be released, something he said “no one on Wirral wants to see.”
Property management company Leverhulme Estates continues to eye areas of Wirral’s green belt for development. In its ‘vision’ document, the company states that while it supports the council’s brownfield regeneration commitment, “the reality is that there will need to be some release of green belt land.” Cllr Kelly noted that even if the planning committee rejects green belt housing developments, without a five-year land supply the council will struggle to fend off planning appeals for rejected projects.
