Wirral Local Plan 2020 – 2035 Issues and Options Consultation

Question Number

Question

2. Context and Evidence

Housing Need

• 2.1

Do you agree with the Council’s calculations using the standard method set out in national Guidance ? If not, please explain why.

• 2.2

Do you think there are exceptional local circumstances to deviate from the standard method for calculating local housing need?  If you believe there are exceptional local circumstances, please let us know what they are

• 2.3

Can you suggest an alternative approach that would also comply with national policy?

Settlement Hierarchy

• 2.4

Do you agree with the proposed settlement hierarchy set out in Table 2.2 and an approach based towards focusing investment and regeneration toward the Urban Conurbation to the east of the M53 Motorway?  If not, what alternative approach would you consider and why?

• 2.5

Do you agree with the settlement definitions and groupings, and if not, what changes would you wish to see and why?

Economic Need

• 2.6

Do you agree that the Council should calculate the need for employment land based on the Past Completions approach?  If not please provide your reasons.

• 2.7

If the Council were to calculate the need for employment land based on the lower Baseline or Growth scenarios, do you believe that potentially surplus employment land should be re-designated for alternative uses, including, where suitable, new housing development?

Increasing Residential Development Density

• 2.8

Do you agree that densities should be increased whilst maintaining good design to ensure the maximum use of suitable urban land?

• 2.9

Are there any particular sites or areas where you believe that this would be most or least appropriate?  Please give your reasons.

Development Viability

• 2.10

Do you agree with the findings of the Economic Viability Study Baseline Assessment?  If not, please give your reasons.

• 2.11

Are you aware of any other ways that potential gaps in viability could be addressed in the Local Plan, to bring more urban brownfield sites forward
for development?

Delivering Growth Through Regeneration

• 2.12

Do you agree with our proposed approach to enable the positive regeneration and development of Birkenhead to maximise its potential to accommodate a significant proportion of the borough’s development needs?

• 2.13

Do you agree with the preferred approach for delivering the strategic sites/ development areas through the Local Plan as set out in Appendix 2.1?

• 2.14

Do you support the establishment of a dedicated delivery model for the Regeneration of Birkenhead?

• 2.15

Do you have any alternative ideas for the regeneration of Birkenhead?

Green Belt Assessment

• 2.16

Do you agree with the classification of sites set out within the 2019 Green Belt Review?  If not, please state your reasons

Evidence base conclusions

• 2.17

Do you agree with our analysis of the key messages from the evidence we have collected so far? If not, please state what you disagree with and why.

3. Our Vision and Objectives for Wirral

Wirral Local Plan Strategic Objectives - Wirral

• 3.1

Do you agree with our proposed Vision?

• 3.2

Do you agree with our proposed objectives?
Are there any objectives you would want to change or remove?

• 3.3

Are there any additional objectives you would want to include? Please state your reasons.

4. Strategic Spatial Options

Option 1A: Urban Intensification

• 4.1

Is there anything else that you think the Council could do to ensure that a sufficient urban land supply capable of meeting the Borough’s development needs is identified?

• 4.2

Do you have any comments on the proposed urban housing allocations set out in Appendix 4.1?

• 4.3

Do you have any comments on the potential additional urban housing allocations set out in Appendix 4.2?  Will they also be deliverable or developable?

• 4.4

Do you have any comments on the other suitable but currently uncertain sites set out in Appendix 4.3?  Are they also deliverable or developable within the Plan period?

• 4.5

Do you agree with the Preferred Approach to identify Broad Locations for growth based on regeneration opportunities and priorities in the Local Plan?

• 4.6

Are there any other areas which should be identified as Broad Locations for Growth?

• 4.7

Are there any other sites within the urban area that you think should be considered for future housing development?  Please identify each site and say why you think they would be suitable.
Please also submit these sites through the separate ‘Call for Sites’ Consultation event and tell us how many homes these sites will deliver and when.

• 4.8

Do you have any comments on the proposed urban employment allocations set out in Appendix 4.6.?
Are they deliverable and developable?

• 4.9

Are there any other urban sites which you think should be allocated for future employment development?  Please identify each site and say why you think they would be suitable.

• 4.10 a -c
• 4.10 d - f

Do you agree with our assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of the Urban Intensification Option?
Are there any other advantages or disadvantages that you believe we should take into account?

Option 1B: Urban Intensification with stepped approach

• 4.11

Do you believe that a ‘stepped approach’ would be appropriate to apply, to reflect the complicated nature of many of the proposed sites for development and their longer lead in times, provided that this is made up in the later years of the plan period to take account of the need to bring forward brownfield sites?

Option 2A: Dispersed Green Belt Release

• 4.12

Do you have any views on the sites that have been currently identified under the Dispersed Green Belt Release option, shown in Table 4.5 and on
Figure 4.6?

• 4.13

Do you think that any of the other weakly performing land identified in the Green Belt Review should be considered for release to meet any residual housing or employment requirements?

• 4.14
  Advantages
• 4.14
  Disadvantages

Do you agree with our assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of a dispersed approach to releasing sites from the Green Belt under Option 2A?
Are there any other advantages or disadvantages that you believe we should take into account?

Option 2B: Single Urban Extension

• 4.15

Do you have any views on the areas that have been currently identified for the single large scale urban extension, shown in Table 4.7 and on Figure 4.7?

• 4.16

Are there any other areas that you think should be considered for a single large scale urban extension to meet any residual housing or employment requirements?

• 4.17
  Advantages
• 4.17
  Disadvantages

Do you agree with our assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of a more concentrated approach to releasing a single urban extension from the Green Belt under Option 2B?  Are there any other advantages or disadvantages that you believe we should take into account?

• 4.18

Do you agree with our preferred approach to meeting demands in Wirral through Urban Intensification?

• 4.19

If it was necessary to supplement urban intensification by releasing land from the Green Belt, would you prefer to see a dispersed release of land, a single larger urban extension, or a hybrid of the two options, and why?

• 4.20

Do you have an alternative option you would like to propose that would also meet the housing and employment land requirements for Wirral over the Plan period?

5. Our Homes

Overall Mix of Housing

• 5.1

Do you agree with our preferred approach to seeking to ensure an appropriate mix of dwelling type and size by requiring developers to take account of the proportions set out, while taking account of any site- specific opportunities or constraints, which could also include the need for a higher density of development on appropriate sites? If not, what alternative approach would you suggest and why?

Affordable Housing Need

• 5.2

Do you agree with our preferred approach of seeking to achieve up to 30% affordable housing from all new developments of 10 dwellings or over, subject to viability, based on the mix of size and tenure recommended in the SHMA 2019? If not, what alternative approach would you suggest and why?

The needs of other groups

• 5.3

Do you agree with our approach to the provision of specialist housing for older people and for ensuring that a proportion of all new homes meet optional accessibility standards?  If not, what alternative approach would you suggest could be adopted?

Empty Properties

• 5.4

Do you have any views on our preferred approach for promoting the re- use of empty homes and buildings to provide for additional housing within the Plan period?

• 5.5

Do you think there is anything else that the Council could do to promote the reuse of empty homes within the Local Plan?

Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People

• 5.6

Do you agree with our preferred approach to meeting any future housing needs for Gypsies and Travellers, if they arise during the Plan period? If not, what alternative approach do you think we should follow?

Primary Residential Areas

• 5.7

Do you agree with the boundaries to the Primarily Residential Areas that the Council proposes to include on the new Local Plan Policy Map?  If not, please say where they should be revised and why?

Housing in Multiple Occupation

• 5.8

Do you agree with the Draft Policy for Houses in Multiple Occupation, which the Council proposes to use in the determination of planning applications as set out in Appendix 5.1?  If not, please say how it should be revised and why?

6. Our Economy

Employment

• 6.1

Do you agree with our preferred or the alternative approach to meet
current and future employment demands in Wirral for everyone in our community?

• 6.2

Do you agree with the proposed release of some employment land in
Bromborough for housing (as set out in paragraphs 6.1.19 and 6.1.22)?

• 6.3

Do you agree that strategic employment land at Wirral Waters should be made available for general employment use?

Protection of Existing Employment Areas

• 6.4

Do you agree with the boundaries to the Primarily Industrial Areas that the Council proposes to include on the new Local Plan Policy Map? If not, please say where they should be revised and why?

• 6.5

What is your view of providing for a wider range of uses within these Areas and which uses do you think should be included?

• 6.6

Do you agree with the Council’s preferred approach to protect all sites currently in use, or allocated, for employment and resist development change of use to ensure continuation of employment uses for those sites? Or
Do you think that the alternative approach whereby the Council will not take forward a policy to protect existing employment land and will let the market determine future use, taking account of tests for sustainable development should be adopted?

Town Centres and Retail

• 6.7

Do you agree with our Preferred Approach to meet retail demands in Wirral for everyone in our community? Would you suggest an alternative approach?

• 6.8

Do you agree with our preferred approach to seek to maximise the potential of town centres’ vitality and viability including residential development? Would you suggest an alternative approach?

• 6.9

Do you agree with our preferred approach to defining a locally set threshold for retail impact assessments?  Would you suggest an alternative approach?

• 6.10

Do you agree with the boundaries to the town centres shown on the Council’s website?  If not, please say how they should be amended and why.

Tourism

• 6.11

Do you agree with our preferred approach for planning for tourism within Wirral?

7. Our Physical and Social Infrastructure

Our approach to infrastructure planning

Question Number

Question

• 7.1 a
• 7.1 b-d

Do you agree with our preferred approach for planning for infrastructure within Wirral?
Do you have a suggested alternative approach?

Transport

• 7.2

Do you agree with our approach to prioritise public and active transport improvements and electric vehicle charging infrastructure provision in new development, and to support the construction of major new roads only where they are related to achieving sustainable development,
environmental enhancement, public transport or road safety benefits?

Utilities

• 7.3

Do you agree with our approach to consider the cumulative impact of development on the utilities networks to ensure resilience, where possible reduce reliance on fossil fuels, improve water efficiency and sustainable drainage and to monitor and respond to future technological advances?

Communications Infrastructure

• 7.4

Do you agree with our approach to support a choice of digital infrastructure providers for new developments and to support the expansion of electronic communications networks?

Social Infrastructure

• 7.5

Do you agree with our approach to work with our partners to undertake capacity assessments of existing social infrastructure, identify needs arising from growth and the opportunity for potential expansion or new provision as appropriate?

8. Our Environment

Climate Change

• 8.1

Do you have any views on our preferred approach to plan for Climate Change in Wirral?

• 8.2

Would you support including additional measures within the Local Plan to plan for Climate Change, including allocating sites for renewable energy or including additional requirements on housing, employment, retail, leisure and tourism developments to meet higher standards of energy efficiency?

• 8.3

Do you think there is anything else that the Council could do to address or plan for Climate Change within the Local Plan?

Green and Blue Infrastructure

Question Number

Question

• 8.4

Do you have any views on our preferred approach for planning for Green and Blue Infrastructure within Wirral?

• 8.5

Do you have any views as to how the Local Plan should promote tree planting?

• 8.6

Do you have any ideas as to where the Council should promote new tree planting as part of its Tree Planting strategy?

Open space, sport and recreation

• 8.7

Do you have any views on the Council’s proposed approach to the provision of open space and sport and recreation facilities?

• 8.8

Do you agree with the list of open spaces identified for protection from development set out in Appendix 8.1 and the boundaries shown on the Council’s website?  If not, please state how they should be revised and why.

Local Green Space

• 8.9

Do you support the designation of ‘the Glebe land’ at West Kirby as a Local Green Space?

• 8.10

Are there any other sites which you think should be considered for designation as a Local Green Space?
Please provide a map with a proposed boundary marked on it or provide a clear description of the location of the site so that we can identify it and tell us how you think it meets the criteria set out in paragraph 100 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Landscape

• 8.11

Do you have any views on our preferred approach for protecting and conserving landscapes within Wirral through the Local Plan?

Flood Risk and Coastal Change

• 8.12

What are your views on the Council using a sequential risk-based approach to direct development to areas at lowest risk of flooding?

• 8.13

Do you think there is anything else that the Council could do to address or plan for flood risk and coastal change within the Local Plan?

Habitats and Biodiversity

• 8.14

Do you have any views on the Council’s approach to ensuring biodiversity is properly addressed within the Local Plan and that important species and habitats are protected?

Healthy communities

• 8.15

Do you have any views on the Council’s approach to ensuring that new development will take account of health and wellbeing through the Local Plan?

• 8.16

Do you think there is anything else that the Council could do to address health and wellbeing within the Local Plan?

Heritage

• 8.17

Do you agree with the Council’s approach to how Heritage is dealt with in
the Local Plan?

• 8.18

Do you agree with the Council’s approach to ensuring heritage assets are
preserved or enhanced?

Minerals

• 8.19

Do you have any views on our preferred approach for planning for minerals within Wirral?

Waste Management

• 8.20

Do you have any views on our preferred approach for planning for waste within Wirral as part of a wider City Region partnership?

9. Detailed Local Plan Policies

• 9.1

Do you have any comments on any of the detailed policy subjects?

• 9.2

Are there any additional detailed development management policies you suggest are included?

• 9.3

Are there any of the detailed development management Local Plan policies you do not think are needed in the Wirral Local Plan

10. Other Comments or Questions

• 10.1

What section or subject would you like to make a comment on? What is your comment?