Unitary Development Plan

The Unitary Development Plan (UDP) is an old-style statutory land-use document prepared under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. It allocates land for development and provides the policy framework for the Council's decisions on individual planning applications.

The last Unitary Development Plan for Wirral was adopted in February 2000.

The Unitary Development Plan forms part of the statutory Development Plan for Wirral. The Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West is still in force but is proposed to be revoked under the Localism Act 2011.

Land Charge Searches

The Unitary Development Plan is used in responses to Local Land Charge Searches. To help with the understanding of Land Charge Search replies we have prepared a Glossary of UDP Designations.

Document Availability

  • UDP Written Statement
  • Adopted UDP Proposal Map - This identifies the Proposals contained within the UDP Written Statement in map form (Please note: The electronic map is designed to be shown at the same scale as the paper hard copy therefore restricting the zoom facility on this map.)

The adopted UDP Written Statement and the adopted Proposals Maps are available for public inspection free of charge at public libraries and at the offices of the Technical Services Department at the Cheshire Lines Building, Canning Street, Birkenhead, during normal opening hours.

Paper copies are available for sale at £20.00 for the Written Statement and £30.00 for the full set of four Proposals Maps (or £10.00 each per quadrant). Requests to purchase should be made in writing to the Forward Planning Section, Corporate Services Department, Municipal Buildings, Brighton Street, Wallasey, CH44 8ED, accompanied by a cheque made payable to Wirral Borough Council.

Local Development Framework

The adopted Unitary Development Plan will be progressively replaced by a series of Local Development Documents prepared as part of the new style Local Development Framework for Wirral, introduced by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

Saved Policies

The policies and proposals of the adopted Unitary Development Plan (February 2000) were initially 'saved', to remain in force for a period of three years. The Council needed to apply to the Secretary of State for permission to continue to "save" the policies and proposals beyond 27 September 2007. The Direction issued by the Secretary of State on 18 September 2007 can be viewed here. A list of the policies and proposals that will not remain in force beyond 27 September 2007 can be viewed here.

Interim Housing Policy

The Council adopted an Interim Housing Policy on 20 October 2005, and this policy came into effect on 30 October 2005. The policy aims to focus new housing development into the designated Housing Market Renewal Initiative Area and other identified regeneration priority areas.  View the policy by clicking here.

A map showing the area affected can be viewed at by clicking here.  

Sites of Biological Importance

Sites of Biological Importance designated in the Unitary Development Plan have recently been updated. The revised list can be viewed here.

Waste Development Plan Document for Merseyside and Halton

The Waste Development Plan Document for Merseyside and Halton, which was submitted to the Secretary of State for public examination on 17 February 2012, is intended to replace the policies and proposals previously contained within Section 17 - Waste Management of the Unitary Development Plan. The Waste DPD is currently expected to be formally adopted by Wirral Council in December 2012.

Further information is available here.