Leverhulme planning appeals

Wirral Council refused eight planning applications from Leverhulme affecting locations in the Barnston, Irby, Pensby, Heswall and Raby Mere areas.

Leverhulme subsequently submitted appeals against all of the applications and a public inquiry will be held to hear all of these cases together.

The public inquiry will be held at Wallasey Town Hall and is scheduled to take 25 days, taking place between May and July 2023 (dates available below).

The planning appeals are organised by the Planning Inspectorate which is an independent agency set up by the government. Guidance is provided below on the processes and how to take part in the inquiry.

Guidance on Leverhulme appeals

How do I find documentation for the planning application next to where I live?

A list of all planning applications subject of the appeal is available below. All appeal documents are stored against each application on the Council’s website. A link to those documents can also be found below. 

How do I submit comments in relation to the appeal?

Comments must be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. You can use the internet to submit documents, to see information and to check the progress of cases at GOV.UK.

Ensure that all documents and emails are clearly marked with the full reference number. You can send by:

• online at https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk (you will need the appeal reference - see appendix 1 below).
• by email: leanne.palmer@planninginspectorate.gov.uk
• by post - send two copies of everything to The Planning Inspectorate, 3rd Floor, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol, BS1 6PN

Read guidance on communicating with the Planning Inspectorate.

I submitted comments to the council when the planning applications were being determined. Will these comments be taken into account by the Planning Inspectorate?

Yes. All comments submitted during the application stage will be sent by the council to the Planning Inspectorate and to the Appellant. You do not need to repeat the same comments. Only submit further comments if you have something new or different to say.

If I want to comment on the appeal, when is the latest date I can submit my comments?

The deadline for submission of comments has been extended to 24 March 2023. The Inspector will not normally look at comments submitted after the deadline and they will be returned by the Inspectorate.

Where and when will the public inquiry take place?

The public inquiry will be held at Wallasey Town Hall, Brighton Street, Wirral, CH41 8ED. The timetable for the scheduled 25 sitting days is set out below:

• 16 to 19 May 2023  (opening 10am on 16 May 2023)
• 24 to 26 May 2023 – not sitting 23 May 2023 
• week commencing 29 May 2023 – no sitting 
• 7 to 9 June 2023 to be sat virtually hosted by the LPA 
• 13 to 16 June 2023 
• 20 to 23 June 2023 
• 27 to 29 June 2023 
• 4 to 7 July 2023 
• week commencing 10 July 2023 – Parties have been asked to reserve this week in case of an overrun.

Who is responsible for organising and running the appeals and public inquiry?

The Planning Inspectorate is an independent agency set up by central government to deal with a wide variety of planning appeals, examinations of local plans and other planning-related and specialist casework in England. The Planning Inspectorate set the rules and procedures for Public Inquiries.

The Planning Inspectorate is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Read further information about the Planning Inspectorate on GOV.UK

How can I take part in the inquiry?

If you want to speak at the inquiry, you must tell the Inspector at the start of the inquiry.

Read section 17 of the guide to taking part in planning and listed building consent appeals proceeding by an inquiry on GOV.UK

Where can I find further information about the appeals process?

Read about the appeals process on GOV.UK

How can the Planning Inspectorate hold this public inquiry when the hearings into the local plan haven’t taken place yet?

The public inquiry into the Leverhulme appeals and the hearings into the local plan are two separate processes although they will clearly cover very similar grounds. It will be for the relevant Planning Inspectors to consider how they take account of the material presented to them.

When do you expect the dates for the local plan hearings to be announced?

Information about the hearings, including the dates for the hearing sessions, can be found on the Council's Hearing Information page:

View the Hearings Information page

Appendix 1

List of Planning applications subject of the appeal.