John Entwistle (Corporate Services) gave a presentation on the Local Development Framework (LDF).

The LDF is a new style development plan that will replace Wirral’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and be used alongside the Regional Spatial Strategy, covering the North West of England, issued by the Secretary of State. The LDF will be a key legal document covering 15-20 years and will consist of a Core Strategy and a spatial plan, and there are opportunities to consult on this at each stage of a long process until its submission to the Secretary of State.  The proposed adoption date for the LDF is 2011.

Forum members had already received a copy of the Issues, Vision and Objectives consultation document, covering issues, vision (to 2025 with 15 main elements linked to the Sustainable Community Strategy) and 29 objectives. Anyone wishing to get involved can request a copy of the consultation document by adding their details to the list available at the meeting or by contacting Hazel Edwards (0151 691 8225 / hazeledwards@wirral.gov.uk). The deadline for comments is 5pm on 27 March 2009. Anyone wishing to be kept involved in the LDF process can request to be added to our contact database again by contacting Hazel Edwards.

The Chair thanked John Entwistle for his presentation and the following questions / issues were raised:

1.  Geoff Gorman - is this new planning system/strategy capable of changing planning decisions that have already been made?

A. - The new Development Plan has no weight as yet and the Unitary Development Plan will continue to be the plan that all planning applications are determined against, until such time as the Core Strategy for the Borough is adopted, which is anticipated to be in 2011.

2.   Geoff Gorman - how have the issues of the flood land at New Brighton been taken into account with regard to the new Morrisons supermarket?

A. - The planning application for the Neptune development was subject to a Flood Risk Assessment. Wirral Council has also commissioned a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, which will consider and assess all aspects of flood risk around the coastal areas of the borough and in respect of Climate Change.

3.  Geoff Gorman - new statistics on Climate Change have been released and in particular about the risk from flooding – will this be taken into account at New Brighton? Why is Neptune building another ‘sea defence’ wall in front of their development if the coastal defences are adequate? There is evidence that there is erosion of land in the area around the application site. What will be done about this?

A. - The planning application for the Neptune development has already been determined and was subject to a flood risk assessment, which formed part of the application, that included looking at the existing sea defences and coastal protection and will have taken issues on Climate Change into account. There are some reserved matters still to be implemented as part of that application; however there will not be any fundamental change to the original application or plan.

4.  Mrs Hall – what exactly is being monitored and by whom and can anyone access this information?

A. - The monitoring of the Core Strategy is required by Government Office for the North West. The Council produces an Annual monitoring Report, which contains all the National Indicators that the Council is being measured against, the targets and how well the Council is doing in respect of those targets. This report is publicly available and a copy of this will be sent to Mrs Hall, as requested.

5.  Member of the public - what is the advantage of the new planning system over the UDP?

A. - The new system is a series or portfolio of documents that are able to be changed individually and this should mean that the new system is more flexible. The criticism of the old style plan is that it is inflexible, as once it has been produced there is no way to make changes without reviewing the whole document, which is costly and time consuming.

6.  Member of the public - does the new system have any ‘teeth’? (Concerns were raised that planning applications across the borough were being determined to the detriment of the area).

A. - The timescale for anticipated adoption of the new plan is some time away, in the meantime it is important that people make these representations to the Council and tell us what they thing of the new system, it’s advantages and disadvantages. Anyone wishing to be included in the consultation can leave their details and we will contact them.

7.  Member of the public – the Core Strategy should include community assets.

A. – recommendations, such as this, can be made on the strategy and considered as part of the consultation.

Resolved that: 

(i)  John Entwistle be thanked for his presentation

(ii)  the forward planning team send a copy of the annual monitoring report to Mrs Hall