New Local Plan

New Local Plan

A new Local Plan is being prepared to shape the future of the borough between 2021 and 2037.

Local Plan Submission and Independent Examination

The Wirral Local Plan 2021 to 2037 Submission Draft was submitted to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for independent examination on 26 October 2022.

For further information on the examination please visit the dedicated Wirral Local Plan Examination webpage

Wirral Local Plan 2021 to 2037 Submission Draft-Publication for Representations (Regulation 19)

Following the publication in early 2020 of the Wirral Local Plan Issues and Options Document, the council carefully considered all views received, along with subsequently completed evidence and prepared a Submission Draft Plan. Full Council at its meeting held on 21 March 2022 approved the publication of the Submission Draft Plan for representations to be submitted under Regulation 19 on its ‘soundness’ before submitting it to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for Independent Examination.

The Local Plan Submission Draft sets out a vision for how Wirral will change as a place over the next 15 years. At the heart of the Local Plan is the regeneration of the ‘Left Bank’ of the River Mersey and Birkenhead in particular. The proposals set out in the Submission Draft will transform Birkenhead over the next 10 to 15 years, addressing several decades of decline and existing social and economic deprivation.

The Submission Draft Plan is the document that will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination. It is the version that the council seeks to adopt, subject to that examination, as the future framework for decision-making on planning.

The Plan will replace the existing Unitary Development Plan which was adopted in 2000 and will provide the main basis upon which future planning applications will be determined.

The Submission Draft Plan and relevant supporting documents (see below) were made available for public inspection to provide any individual, group or business the opportunity to make a representation on the 'soundness' and legal compliance (including with the duty to cooperate) of the Draft Local Plan, for consideration by the Planning Inspector. The closing date for Representations to be received was 5pm on Monday 25 July.

Notice of Extension to Consultation Period 

The council identified that two documents, which were published in support of the Local Plan, were incomplete as described below:

  • Wirral Local Plan: Pre-Submission Local Plan Sustainability Appraisal Report April 2022 [SD2] - Appendix A - Maps missing
  • Wirral Local Plan 2021 to 2037 CIL & Viability Assessment February 2022 [DV1] - Appendix 8 - Presentation Slides missing

In addition, in the Wirral Local Plan 2021 to 2037 CIL & Viability Assessment February 2022 [DV1] the following changes were made: Appendix 1 - Removal of "Draft" watermark and amended text on page 1 to clarify version of policies assessed; Appendix 2: removal of "Draft for consultation" watermark. Separately, the Housing Trajectory Annual Breakdown was published on the evidence base webpage as document BP1.1 alongside the Housing Delivery Strategy.

As a result of these changes, the council received representations on the Wirral Local Plan 2021 to 2037 Submission Draft May 2022 for an extended period which ran from 9 May until 5pm on Monday 25 July 2022.

You can now purchase copies of the Local Plan Written Statement and associated Policies Maps on the council's website. Please see below for more information.

Viewing Submitted Representations

The period for Representations to be submitted ended at 5pm on Monday 25 July. Information on how to view the submitted representations can be viewed on the Local Plan Examination page.

View the submitted Regulation 19 Representations

Once individual representations are processed, the individual who submitted them will be able to view them online, via their account, on the Council's consultation portal.

View the council's consultation portal

Documents published for representations

The council published the following documents for representations to be made:

A range of other supporting documents, background papers and evidence studies which have informed or explain the council’s approach to preparing various parts of the Plan were also available.

View the current Wirral Local Plan evidence base

Purchasing Local Plan documents online

You can now purchase copies of the following Wirral Local Plan 2021 - 2037 Submission Draft Documents online, on the Council's website, using either a credit or debit card:

  • Local Plan 2021-2037 Submission Draft Written Statement only - £32
  • Local Plan 2021-2037 Submission Draft Written Statement and complete set of six Policies Maps - £92
  • Full set of six Policies Maps including all four quadrants of the borough and two inset maps - £60
  • One single policies map (from a selection of six maps) - £20:
    • Hoylake North West Map
    • Birkenhead North East Map
    • Heswall South West Map
    • Bebington South East Map
    • New Brighton, New Ferry and West Kirby Inset Maps
    • Birkenhead Inset Map

Purchase Wirral Local Plan 2021 to 2037 Submission draft documents

For a copy of any other document relating to the Local Plan 2021-2037 Submission Draft, please contact the Local Plan team on 0151 691 8235 or email localplan@wirral.gov.uk

Summary document

The following summary documents were prepared and can be viewed and downloaded here:

Please note these are not formal documents and were not subject to representations. 

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. 

All duly made representations, together with the names of respondents, are available on the Local Plan Examination website. Personal information such as telephone numbers, addresses, and email addresses will not be published.

Masterplans

Policies WS6.2, RA1, RA2, RA3, RA4, RA5, RA6, RA7, RA9, RA10, RA11, WP4.2 and WP6.3 of the Local Plan Submission Draft set out requirements for development within a series of areas to conform with masterplans which have been endorsed by the Council.

The preparation of masterplans for these areas is key to regeneration, place making, and ensuring comprehensive development.  Further details of these masterplan areas can be viewed here

View further information on masterplan areas

Further information about the Local Plan

View the Guide to the Local Plan for further information about the Local Plan.

Contacting the Planning Policy Team at Wirral Council

If you require any further information or assistance, please contact the planning policy team using the details below:

What's the timetable?

The timetable for the Local Plan is set out in the latest Local Development Scheme (LDS). The LDS was updated in February 2022.

The Local Development Scheme will tell you when the next stages in the preparation of the Local Plan will take place.

If you would like to be notified when consultation on the Local Plan next takes place, you can register on the council's online consultation portal or contact the forward planning team at: localplan@wirral.gov.uk

View the Local Development Scheme

Get involved

Wirral Council consults the public and other stakeholders during the preparation of the Local Plan. How the council will do this is set out in a Statement of Community Involvement:

View the Statement of Community Involvement

Previous Stages

Issues and Options consultation document

Consultation on the Issues and Options document took place between 27 January and 6 April 2020.

View the Issues and Options Document (PDF)

A summary of the comments received and the council’s response can be viewed below:

View the Issues and Options Consultation Statement

Duty to Cooperate

The council has a legal duty to co-operate with a number of statutory bodies and agencies when preparing a Local Plan. A Duty to Cooperate Statement of Compliance was published with the Local Plan Submission Draft:

The latest Statement of Compliance can be viewed on the Local Plan Examination page.

View the Local Plan Examination page