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Local Plan Examination
Please note: All information relating to the examination will be provided on these webpages. PDF files below may not be suitable to view for people with disabilities, users of assistive technology or mobile phone devices. Large PDF maps are more suitable to view on a large screen over a Wi-Fi connection.
The Wirral Local Plan 2021 – 2037 Submission Draft (provided on PDF format below) was submitted to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 26 October 2022 for independent examination. The formal notice of submission is provided below:
- SD1 – Wirral Local Plan 2021 - 2037 Submission Draft (PDF, 32MB)
- Notice of Submission to the Secretary of State (Regulation 22)
Publication of Inspectors Report
The report of the Planning Inspectors appointed to undertake the independent examination of the Local Plan can be viewed below:
Consultation on Main Modifications
The post-examination modifications to the Submission Draft Local Plan, which were published for consultation on 25 September 2024, are provided below:
-
Document
- Proposed Changes to the Policies Map
The deadline for comments on the modifications has now expired.
The representations that were received on the proposed modifications to the submission draft Local Plan can be viewed below.
View the Consultation Responses to Wirral Local Plan Main Modifications webpage
Latest news
Following the receipt of the Inspectors Report, the Council formally resolved to adopt the Wirral Local Plan on 31 March 2025.
Latest news about the Wirral Local Plan Examination will appear on the Local Plan Examination - Latest News page:
Local Plan Examination - Streaming of Hearing Sessions
Information about streaming of forthcoming Hearing Sessions and how to view recordings of previous sessions will appear on the Hearings Information page.
View the Hearings Information page
The Hearings Information page contains hearing statements, recordings of the hearings and further information about the hearings.
A guide to the Local Plan Examination
The Planning Inspectorate has prepared a short guide intended for those who might be participating in a local plan examination for the first time:
A more detailed Procedure Guide for Local Plan Examinations has also been produced:
Inspector and Programme Officer
This section defines the roles of the Planning Inspector(s) and the Programme Officer as well as providing the contact details of the Programme Officer.
The Inspectors
The Secretary of State has appointed Inspectors, Mike Worden BA (Hons) Dip TP MRTPI and Tom Bristow BA MSc MRTPI AssocRICS, to hold an independent examination of the Wirral Local Plan 2021 -2037.
The Inspectors' task is to consider the soundness of the submitted plan, based on the criteria set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.
The relevant soundness criteria are whether the local plan is:
- Positively prepared: providing a strategy which, as a minimum, seeks to meet the area’s objectively assessed needs; and is informed by agreements with other authorities, so that unmet need from neighbouring areas is accommodated where it is practical to do so and is consistent with achieving sustainable development;
- Justified: an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence;
- Effective: deliverable over the plan period, and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters that have been dealt with rather than deferred, as evidenced by the statement of common ground;
- Consistent with national policy: enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in this framework and other statements of national planning policy, where relevant.
The inspectors will take into account the representations submitted upon the local plan as far as they relate to soundness considerations. A number of informal debates will take place on the principal matters identified by the inspectors. These are termed hearing sessions.
Following the closure of the examination, the inspectors will prepare a report to us with precise recommendations. These recommendations may include modifications to the plan, if we request it.
The Programme Officer
We have appointed Kerry Trueman as programme officer to assist the inspectors in carrying out their examination, and she will be the contact for the inspectors.
She is an independent officer of the examination and works on behalf of the inspectors to organise and manage the administrative and procedural elements of the examination process. All statements will also be submitted through her.
Any matters that anyone wishes to raise with the inspectors should be submitted via the programme officer via the following contact methods:
- Email: kerrytrueman@wirral.gov.uk
- Telephone: 07582 310364
- Or by post: Kerry Trueman
Programme Officer Solutions Limited
Pendragon House
1 Bertram Drive
Meols
Wirral
CH47 0LG
Submission documents
An indexed list of Submission Documents:
- SD1 - Wirral Local Plan 2021 - 2037 Submission Draft (May 2022) (PDF, 32MB)
- SD1.1 - Hoylake NW Map 1 of 4 (PDF, 16.4MB)
- SD1.2 - Birkenhead NE Map 2 of 4 (PDF, 22.4MB)
- SD1.3 - Heswall SW Map 3 of 4 (PDF, 31MB)
- SD1.4 - Bebington SE Map 4 of 4 (PDF, 26.8MB)
- SD1.5 - New Brighton, New Ferry and West Kirby Inset Maps (PDF, 19.3MB)
- SD1.6 - Birkenhead Inset Maps (PDF, 21.0MB)
- SD2 - Sustainability Appraisal (SA) (PDF, 28.5MB)
- SD2.1 - Sustainability Appraisal Non-Technical Summary (PDF, 8.9MB)
- SD3 - Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) (PDF, 3.9MB)
- SD4 - Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) (PDF, 0.8MB)
- SD5 - Wirral Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation Statement March 2022 (PDF, 32.9MB)
- SD5.1 - Wirral Local Plan Regulation 22 Consultation Statement - October 2022 (PDF, 0.5MB)
- SD5.1a - Regulation 22 Consultation Statement - Appendices 1-5 (PDF, 28.6MB)
- SD5.1b - Regulation 22 Consultation Statement - Appendices 6-8 (PDF, 42.3MB)
- SD6 - Wirral Local Plan Proposed Minor Modifications October 2022 (PDF, 0.37MB)
- SD7 - Wirral Local Plan 2021 - 2037 Submission Update Report October 2022 (PDF, 323KB)
- SD8 - Local Plan Submission Letter October 2022
Representations
Representations were invited to the Local Plan Regulation 19 stage between 09 May 2022 and 25 July 2022.
Evidence Library
An indexed list of supporting evidence base documents by topic area is available to view here.
Hearings Information
Hearing statements, the programme for the hearings and information on the hearings is available to view on the Hearings Information page.
Post Submission Examination documents
Any documents which have been made available beyond the submission of the Local Plan will be made available here.
Data Protection and Privacy
To ensure an effective and fair examination, it is important that the Inspector and all other participants in the examination process are able to know who has made representations on the plan. The council will therefore ensure that the names of persons or organisations making representations can be made available (including publication on the council’s website and or consultation portal) and taken into account by the Inspector.
We were unable to accept anonymous representations. All duly made representations, together with the names of respondents, are available to view on this webpage. Personal information such as telephone numbers, addresses, and email addresses has not been published.
Personal information which was provided as part of any representation (including address, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc.) has been shared with the Programme Officer and the Planning Inspector/s, to be used only for the purposes of conducting the examination.