The appendices to this report are contained in a separate supplement.

The Director of Regeneration and Place introduced a report which sought approval, by way of a recommendation to Council, to publish the Wirral Local Plan 2021 to 2037- Submission Draft Plan (“the Submission Draft Plan”) for a six-week period to enable representations to be invited on the soundness and legal compliance of the Plan and for the Plan to be subsequently submitted to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (“the Secretary of State”) for Independent Examination, following the conclusion of the publication period under Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended) (“the Regulations”).

The Submission Draft Plan was the document that the Council, subject to Members’ approval, would submit to the Secretary of State for Independent Examination and which it would wish to adopt subject to the recommendations of a Planning Inspector.

The publication of the Submission Draft Plan (under Regulation 19 of the Regulations) was the final stage of engagement prior to the Submission Draft Plan being submitted for Independent Examination. The purpose of this stage was to enable any person to make representations (under Regulation 20 of the Regulations) about the Submission Draft Plan. The representations must relate to the ‘soundness’ or legal compliance of the Local Plan and would then go forward to be considered by the Planning Inspector who would be appointed by the Secretary of State to undertake the Independent Examination. 

In accordance with National Planning Policy the Council must, through the Local Plan, provide a positive planning policy framework that supported and boosted the economy. The Submission Draft Plan was appended to the report in a separate supplement and its accompanying Policies Map could be viewed online via a link at Appendix 2.

In producing the Submission Draft Plan, extensive work and evidence collation had indicated that the needs of the Borough could and should be met within the existing urban areas through an urban intensification approach.  Because of this, the ‘exceptional circumstances’ for alterations to be made to Green Belt boundaries did not exist. This approach accords with national planning policy and guidance. The Council’s approved Local Development Scheme (January 2022) identified that the Council intended to submit the Submission Draft Plan for Independent Examination to the Secretary of State between July and September 2022.

At the Independent Examination an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State would examine the Submission Draft Plan, the evidence supporting it and the representations received under Regulation 20 and would assess whether the Council’s proposed Plan was sound and had met the legal requirements to allow it to be formally adopted. The Inspector might suggest further modifications to the Local Plan.

The proposed publication of the Submission Draft Plan was in accordance with the Council’s adopted Local Development Scheme and Statement of Community Involvement. The recommended process as set out within the report complied with relevant legislative requirements and was necessary before the Wirral Local Plan could be submitted to the Secretary of State for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 144