Leverhulme loses 800-home Wirral appeals
The Planning Inspectorate has dismissed seven applications for the redevelopment of various Green Belt sites on the peninsula, dashing the estate’s hopes of contributing to the borough’s “acute” housing need.
Leverhulme Estate proposed redeveloping 110 acres of Green Belt land in Pensby, Irby, Greasby, Barnston, and Heswall as part of its 788-home Leverhulme Vision.
An eighth appeal against the refusal of plans for a 56-acre sustainable alternative natural greenspace off Barnston Road was withdrawn.
All seven of the housing schemes – which featured plans for 300 affordable homes – were rejected by Wirral Council and have now also been refused by the planning inspectorate.
Nigel McGurk, head of planning and development for Leverhulme, said the estate was “disappointed” by the outcome of the appeal, saying that the homes would have made a significant contribution to addressing Wirral’s housing supply issues.
“The very real and deeply embedded issues facing Wirral regarding the chronic lack of housing supply, in particular the urgent requirement for family and affordable housing, remain the same, and will not simply go away,” he said.
“Unfortunately for those in need of housing, Wirral Council’s current trajectory will continue to fail to deliver the mix of housing that the borough requires.
While Leverhulme has tasted defeat at the hands of the Planning Inspectorate, there is still one Vision scheme that is yet to be determined: 240 homes on 25 acres of Green Belt east of Rigby Drive.
Despite the outcome of the appeal, McGurk is remaining positive.
“We will continue to promote the Leverhulme Vision for deliverable, sustainable communities, most immediately via the Local Plan process,” he said.
“We look forward to ultimately contributing to the acute housing needs of the borough.”
Fantastic news and hats off to Wirral Council and all who opposed these applications. Wirral Council have a strong brownfield strategy as part of the emerging Local Plan and have been aquiring sites and negotiating with stakeholders to make this a reality.
By Rob
But the borough does not have an ‘acute housing need’ and all need can be more than covered by existing brownfield sites. Leverhulmes scheme was simply cynical profiteering on their part at the expense of much needed and appreciated Green Belt land.
By Anonymous
A real shame, its a great proposal and certainly would of added to the much needed housing supply.
By Anonymous
Wirral has a stagnant and ageing population and needs to attract more families. Will they be persuaded to move into the brownfield neighbourhoods in downtown Birkenhead? Is this a case of politics trying to direct the market? Because if so, the market ALWAYS wins.
By Anonymous
Good news! The proposed developments would not have met the housing needs of the borough, being built on green belt in semi-rural areas. The infrastructure is not there for this type of development, the Wirral is already struggling with doctors, dentists, schools, public transport, increasing traffic issues etc, and they would certainly not have been affordable housing. Wirral Borough Council have plans for developing brownfield sites which should be supported – we as a country cant afford to lose any green belt, especially when there are a lot of brownfield sites ripe for development.
By Anonymous
What a joke.
How Wirral Councillors continue to get away with their shambolic approach to Local Planning is beyond belief. And now with a pat on the back from the Planning Inspectorate, you just couldn’t write it.
The draft local plan proposes circa 56 new homes in West Wirral, that’ll sort it!
Cue the celebrations from 65 year old plus letter writing silver army sat swashing about in their 4 bed detached West Wirral homes built on what was once ‘greenbelt’ or equivalent. I’m alright jack. Selfishness hypocrisy beyond belief. For those or you reading this, when was your house built and what was there before??? Google historic maps.
Meanwhile hard working families and young people have not a chance of a home where they were born and brought up… but don’t worry you can get a flat on the other side of the Wirral. Wouldn’t want to alter the view on your Sunday ramble would we.
What housing crisis…
Get a grip Wirral Council and identify sites then!
By Local Boy
Definitely no housing shortage on the Wirral. You only have to go on rightmove to see how many affordable houses are for sale that are below the national average house price. ‘Acute housing need’?? Pull the other one.
By Ste Jones
It’s a shame you didn’t seek comments from Wirral Council, or the alliance of local groups that opposed the applications. If the need for housing really was ‘acute’, then the appeals would have been allowed – so that statement has just been found to be false. In fact, although you don’t mention it, the appeals were refused on prematurity – the inquiry into the Wirral Local Plan is currently underway and allowing the appeal sites was judged to clearly prejudice the outcome of this. ‘Local Boy’ reads like a parody, so I’m not sure how seriously to take his comments. But if he really is local to Wirral, he obviously hasn’t read the draft local plan. There will be plenty of development in W Wirral from windfall sites, and development is directed to areas that really need it. Life expectancy in E Wirral is 11 years less than the west – this was highlighted in the Inspector’s Report and is a shocking indictment of our current planning system and should be a source of shame.
By Peter Black
I honestly don’t know how they get away with it (so will have to read the decisions) but for context the last Plan Wirral adopted was February 2000…….and it covered the period to 2001. For years they’ve tried their best to conceal the lack of a housing supply. I support the brownfield redevelopment of Birkenhead anybody who’s been there will understand why….but would I want to live there and bring up a family, certainly not in the short-term. I hope the strategy succeeds in the long-term but there is a lot of hope value in it being the only solution. West Kirby, Heswall and Neston are all sustainable and thriving settlements, would I want to live there, yes.
Talk about the “much needed and appreciated Green Belt” is political re-gurge. There’s very little of it can be accessed or enjoyed by the public and its only needed as a get out to having a sensible debate about how we plan for needed housing.
By Mr N Imby
Brilliant summary Peter Black, I could not have said it better myself. Well Done👍
By Piermaster
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fully regenerate Birkenhead and this is why the councils vision in the emerging local plan has to be adopted. With the right investment and brownfield specialist developers onboard I believe Birkenhead will be a vibrant and desirable place to live with the right mix of affordable family homes.
By Ste Jones
The less houses built, the faster my house price rises (Oops! I mean, save green fields, save the planet).
Not rocket science?
By Anonymous
Great news, big companies try to run roughshod over our precious green belt and have to be stopped. Great news.
By Anonymous
Really good news,well done 👍 to all involved. Wirral doesn’t have an acute housing need. Wirral council is working hard to identify many suitable brownfield sites which need to be developed first.
By Anonymous
Amazing how many experts on housing need there are in these comments. To suggest that Wirral’s housing needs for the next generation can be met entirely through the delivery of high density, cramped dwellings in one part of the borough is ludicrous. The regeneration of Birkenhead should be at the heart of the strategy, but its not an either or situation where you can’t also deliver much needed family homes in other parts of the borough as well.
By Anonymous
We don’t need anymore houses to ruin our beautiful areas. We are rural and I’ve grown up with these fields and love and cherish them dearly. We don’t want this area to become urban. A lot of wildlife are prominent here. It’s nice to see nature. We don’t want this to dissappear because of greedy money orientated people. Greed in one of the seven deadly sins. Our country’s got enough problems with people like this creating more. STOP AND THINK.
By Anonymous