To consider any other items of business that the Chair accepts as being urgent.

UPDATE AND QUESTIONS ON THE LOCAL PLAN

David Ball, Assistant Director of Major Growth and Housing Delivery gave a brief description of where the Council was regarding the Local Plan. David stated that on 23^rd July 2018, Cabinet had considered a report on the Local Plan. This report covered land supply for the future, including employment uses, housing uses and mixed uses. It also included other options around open spaces, densities and the opportunity to cooperate with other local councils. The Cabinet took the decision to formally consult on those development options. The consultation commenced on 3^rd September 2018. David has attended 15 public consultation events in the past 2 weeks with approximately 1500 people attending.

The Consultation ends on 26^th October 2018 with written representations needing to be submitted ahead of this date. The consultation is based on figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The ONS have just released updated (lower) figures which central government will decide on how to interpret before the council can make any amendments to their consultation.

Members will make decisions on a range of options given to them in July 2019 at full Council.

The Chair asked for questions from the audience:

Jane Chesters, a resident, questioned whether the greenbelt will still be involved in light of the new figures from the ONS. Stated that there were a large number of people within the greenbelt that worked on farms and other industries who’s lives were on hold until a decision is made regarding building on the greenbelt. Felt that as planning approval had been given for Wirral Waters that a large proportion of the housing requirement would be fulfilled there.

The Chair reiterated that any decisions on the matter were the responsibility of the full Council.

In response to Jane Chesters, David Ball explained that the previous figures for new dwellings expected to be built per annum were 803 and looking at the new figures released by the ONS the new figures would be 488 dwellings per annum. The governments’ current national target is 300,000 new homes per annum by the mid 2020’s with the new figures suggesting that this target would not be met on the lower figures as nationally this would only add up to approximately 214,000. David stated that the council has asked the government how they intend to use those figures. These figures are “Household Projections” and to work out the overall housing needs there are other factors involved in the calculations such as household formation, affordability calculations as well as population trends among others. The council is waiting to see how the government wants to proceed before the council can decide on these figures. It is likely to be sometime in December to see how the government will interpret these numbers and therefore what numbers can go into our local plan. David stated that Peel have given a range of housing numbers for Wirral Waters but the evidence to support these figures is still awaited from Peel.. David stated that even if we were to go by the lowest projection of 488 dwellings per annum, we would still need to develop into the greenbelt to some degree.

Jane Chesters followed up by stating that many estates within Birkenhead are in poor condition and need to be re-developed. She felt it was unacceptable to develop in new areas rather than re-develop land we already have.

The Chair highlighted that David Ball and his department must follow protocols and agreed methodology. He suggested that members of the public should maintain their activism against building in the greenbelt and that it would be bizarre if these new figures were not factored in to the Local Plan.

Phil Simpson, resident, stated that the new, lower figure should be 477, not 488 as stated by David Ball. He also stated that the council was scaring residents by using the national figures or 300,000 properties. He stated that Wirral does not need to build on the greenbelt and claimed that consultations were flawed. He claimed that the current consultation should not be going on as the council knew that new figures were coming from the ONS. He stated there had been over 22,000 signatures against building on the greenbelt and stated that the council was corrupt.

The Chair interjected by stating that he does not believe council officers or councillors to be corrupt and that this was to be a measured question and answer session.

A resident stated that the new figures from the ONS altered things drastically for the Wirral and that it was not logical that the government would still want 300,000 properties built per year when the new numbers are so much lower.

Peter Owen, resident, stated that the government came out with the number nationally and pro-rata’s it to councils, losing site that housing number come down to the Local Plans of each council.

David Ball responded to both of these statements by explaining that there are a number of factors taken into account and that the figures being spoken about do not include forecasts for economic growth. The council have to publish a housing target number and be able to robustly defend it. David stated that the government is looking to keep their national target and that we will see in December which way they will interpret the numbers from the ONS.

A resident stated that she appreciated that we have a growing need for housing as a nation. She felt that other areas of the Wirral are not being used correctly claiming that in Hamilton Square whole properties were selling for £250,000 while similar properties are going for much more elsewhere. She felt that the council was not thinking collectively.

A resident claimed he had sent a letter to Council Leader Phil Davies in September but had not yet received a response. He stated that the new figures of 470-480 new dwellings per annum instead of 800 alters the perspective on building on the greenbelt. He wanted to know if the council will now acknowledge that there is now no need to build on the greenbelt.

A resident claimed he had been to a number of events in the Wirral and felt that Birkenhead and other areas such as New Ferry and Rock Ferry were some of the most deprived areas of the country. He stated that the Labour council had let them down.

Caroline Evans, resident, stated that the Council should be taking a broader view. She compared the developments in Salford/Manchester to the plans for Wirral Waters, stating that those areas had massively improved. Caroline stated that there was no need to threaten farmers, especially regarding declining food production.

The Chair stated that it is Council policy to avoid building on the greenbelt.

David Billington, resident, commented that he had lost count of the times the word “probably” had been used in David Ball’s opening presentation. He stated that he had been to a presentation from Peel about Wirral Waters and feels that the Council and Peel are starting to communicate. He felt the Council need to know definite figures before we consult.

John Heath of the Irby, Thurstaston and Pensby Amenity Society (ITPAS), stated that he represents 600 members the group. He states that there are 13 scenarios that consultants have come up with and that they have only based these scenarios on the Council’s projections. He states that the Council has chosen to use the highest figures in their projections and means to take any decisions to build in the greenbelt to court. He has had professional conclusions that there is no need to develop the greenbelt. ITPAS has produced their own report and given a copy to the Council which he claims they have ignored.

David Ball clarified that the council was not currently subject to government intervention over the Local Plan. In response to the mention that correspondence was not being responded to, David stated that he was currently receiving hundreds of representations from people all over the Wirral and that they would all be answered but that some may take a while to get to because of the detail required for each response.

David Ball stated that the projection of 803 properties per year was based on objectively assessed need and does not include economic growth, the number could be as high as 1200 when this is taken into account. He stated that Wirral’s local plan is looking at the Wirral as a whole with redevelopment plans for Birkenhead, Rock Ferry and New Ferry already underway alongside other brownfield sites. There are also approximately 4600 empty properties and the council is helping to bring them back into use.

A resident asked why the council can’t just develop the 4600 properties.

Councillor Matthew Patrick asked what number of properties built per year would be needed to avoid building in the greenbelt. He also asked what David Ball’s advice would be on whether the council could exclude the greenbelt from the Local Plan. Councillor Patrick mentioned the Wirral Growth Company and that it would be bringing a lot of money into the Wirral to help with the level of economic deprivation.

David Ball stated that the council is trying to bring as many empty properties back into use as possible. He stated that while the number of empty properties help towards the overall target figures, new dwellings still need to be built.

David stated that to avoid building on the greenbelt would require a figure much lower than the new figure of 488 per year from the ONS and would rely on Wirral Waters too heavily. David then stated that for the Local Plan there are acts of Parliament that have to be met and that the council must comply with a whole range of things. He stated that the council is some way from a number that would avoid the necessity of building within the greenbelt. The current plan will need to include some element of greenbelt development but will seek to maximise brownfield and the Wirral Waters development etc before looking to the greenbelt.

Councillor Mike Sullivan stated that he had listened carefully and felt that the council has been supplied with arbitrary housing figures to come up with our own numbers. He stated that he does not want to build on the greenbelt and would go to court to challenge the numbers being provided.

Councillor David Burgess-Joyce stated that he is not a professional when it comes to land development. He raised that he is an estate agent and that he has taken the decision not to support developers coming into the Wirral to build on the greenbelt. He raised the tactics of such developers as a problem to come as they will come into the area looking to circumnavigate planning policies etc. He also suggested that the construction of larger, more expensive houses in the greenbelt areas would raise more council tax. He claimed that the population of Wirral was not increasing and that in his experience the vast majority of property purchases were from people who already lived nearby.

Councillor Tony Cox claimed that the figures on development targets were grossly over estimated. He raised that Wirral Waters/Peel have promised 6000 properties which will mostly be 1-2 bedroom flats. The Hoylake golf course is to include 160 band G-H (council tax banding) properties. He disagreed with David Ball’s figures saying that they didn’t stack up. Councillor Cox stated that if the commercial aspect of Wirral Waters does not come to fruition then there will be no economic growth. He stated that the government have given every council the method to work out housing needs and that they have detailed what will be development land for commercial/housing and protection of the greenbelt. He stated that the public have the opportunity to approve of these plans by voting.

Councillor David Elderton stated that he had been on the planning committee for 18 years. He felt there were too many numbers being quoted without enough information on where they were coming from. He stated that there were people getting planning permission for properties within their own land who were not then building. He felt there was not enough pressure on developers to complete a build once they had planning approval. Councillor Elderton felt that current growth statistics were wildly varied and that nobody knew how the housing needs would change in the future. He stated that the Wirral Waters plans were within a self-contained development and that if anyone could make a success of it, Peel were the company to do so.

David Ball responded by saying that there were more than 2000 outstanding planning permissions and that the council was taking an active approach by contacting all of those people with planning permission, arranging visits and encouraging to build.

The Chair reiterated that it was important that the public keep pressure on the council regarding greenbelt development before closing the item.