Vicki Shaw, Head of Legal Services, introduced a report from the Director of Law and Governance on the establishment of a Local Plan Steering Sub-Committee along with a Local Plan Working Group with the same membership.

The Committee, at its previous meeting on 7 October, 2020 had resolved to recommend to Council that, as with the  previous Local Plan Advisory Group, all political groups on the Council should be represented on the new Local Plan Sub-Committee. This recommendation was unanimously approved by Council, at its meeting on 19 October, 2020. This was on the understanding that the membership of the Working Group would mirror that of the Local Plan Steering Sub-Committee in also being made up of one Member from each of the Council’s political groups.

[The additional wording (in italics) was added as a result of an amendment to the minutes made at the Policy and Resources Committee on 18 December, 2020]

The Local Plan Working Group would enable a continuation of the detailed consideration, guidance and support for the production of the Wirral Local Plan previously undertaken by the former Local Plan Member Advisory Group.

On a motion by Councillor Anita Leech, seconded by the Chair, it was -

Resolved – That,

(1)  the Local Plan Working Group be established with the Terms of Reference as attached to the Director’s report at Appendix 1, subject to an amendment to the quorum required being three and not four Members;

(2)  the Monitoring Officer be authorised as proper officer to carry out the wishes of the Group Leaders in allocating Members of the Policy and Resources Committee to membership and substitute membership of the Local Plan Steering Sub-Committee and the Local Plan Working Group and to appoint those Members with effect from the date at which the proper officer is advised of the names of such Members;

(3)  for clarity, both the Sub-Committee and Working Group will be time limited until the adoption of the Local Plan by the Council.