Wirral to adopt 2026-2031 housing strategy

Highlighting a need for 687 affordable homes to be delivered a year, the council has outlined its strategy to for ensuring the right types of houses are built in the right places.

The Wirral housing strategy covers the years from September 2026 to 2031. It is recommended for approval by the council at next week’s economy, regeneration, and housing committee meeting.

• Read Wirral’s Housing Strategy 2026-2031

The housing strategy, which should be read in conjunction with the borough’s local plan, puts Left Bank as its prime focus for delivery.

Its ambition is for up to 10,000 homes to be built on the area between Bromborough and New Brighton between 2022 and 2040. At least 1,000 of these would be designated as affordable and come through as a result of developer obligations, the council said.

• READ MORE: Wirral’s masterplans for Left Bank

This alone will not meet the affordable housing need in the area, which the local authority estimates would require 240 affordable rental homes, 240 social rental properties, and 207 affordable home ownership ones to be built each year.

To help deliver these homes, the local authority said that most of its outlined regeneration areas will require a minimum of 10% affordable housing to be delivered. Some of these areas, not named in the report, will have to provide 20% affordable housing as a minimum.

Wirral Council’s strategy also includes plans to look at its own assets to find opportunities for housing. It will also get rid of derelict properties when able and introduce council tax premiums to bring long-vacant properties back into use.

With an eye to sustainability, the local authority said it will encourage the development of brownfield sites and the repurposing of buildings. All homes will be built to high energy efficiency standards as well, according to the strategy.

Wirral Council also pledged to work with registered providers, the combined authority, and Homes England to increase the delivery of net zero affordable housing using MMC.

Given an increased need in temporary housing needs, the council has promised to expand its own stock of that accommodation – thereby reducing the need to rent space at bed and breakfasts for this provision.

Wirral Council said it would also create emergency housing pipelines and explore innovative private sector leasing strategies to help reduce waiting times on its housing wait lists.

The housing strategy also highlights a need for more extra care homes and a goal to see 785 added to the residential stock in the area by 2035.

The housing strategy will be accompanied by an implementation plan, which will be reviewed on a yearly basis.

Wirral has the second highest number of homes in the Liverpool City Region, with 153,370 in its borders. Over the period between 2014 and 2025, 6,317 homes were added. This equates to an average of 632 a year.