Consultations
The Society has responded to three consultations put out by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government concerning:
- Changes to the Planning System
- Planning for the Future
- Permitted development right to change from Use Class E (Commercial, Business and Service) to Class C3 (Residential)
Wirral Local Plan/Green Belt Review
During 2020, the Council invited further consultation on the following four evidence based documents as input in support of Wirral's emerging Local Plan:
The Heswall Society responded to all but the first one (ECC1.8). The Society’s responses can be accessed by clicking on the following, namely ECC5.6, ECC15 and H6.
In particular, the Society made a strong argument against the conclusion in the Housing Need document (H6) that Wirral does not have ’exceptional circumstances’ to deviate from the figure produced by the use of the Standard Method. Our arguments are based on those put together by the Wirral Green Space Alliance and show why we believe the predicted 12,000 housing need figure calculated using the standard method is far too high and that Wirral does indeed have exceptional circumstances to justify using a significantly smaller number that represents the true housing need.
In addition, the Council appointed LUC (Land Use Consultants) to prepare Wirral Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy | www.wirral.gov.uk. To see the Society’s response, Click Here.
The Council subsequently commissioned Keppie Massey to carry out a Local Plan Viability Study, which will inform and support the emerging Wirral Local Plan. The Council approached relevant landowners, site promoters, developers and affordable housing providers to seek views on the assumptions of updated costs and values to be used in the viability testing. The Society registered to be included in this and future consultations relating to this Study.
Click Here to see the Society's response to a short questionnaire from Keppie Massey inviting feedback on their current proposed testing assumptions. The Society merely commented on the proposed housing density figure used which, based on the flawed assumption that Wirral’s predicted housing need is 12,000 units, is significantly higher than that currently being used. Whilst the Society recognises that change is inevitable, such changes should be gradual and spread over time to allow communities to come to terms with them. Although paragraph 122 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) highlights the need for the efficient use of land, the Society emphasised that it also recognises the need to retain the character of an area.
In March 2021, the Council launched a consultation on its Wirral Housing Density Study 2021 to which the Society has responded in two parts, both of which can be viewed here. Part 1 provides a general response. Part 2 responds to specific sections in the reports.
- ECC1.8 - Agricultural Economy and Land Study Addendum
- ECC5.6 - Wirral Landscape Sensitivity Assessment Addendum
- ECC15 - Wirral Local Landscape Designations Review 2020
- H6 - Exploring The Computation of Housing Need in Wirral 2020
The Heswall Society responded to all but the first one (ECC1.8). The Society’s responses can be accessed by clicking on the following, namely ECC5.6, ECC15 and H6.
In particular, the Society made a strong argument against the conclusion in the Housing Need document (H6) that Wirral does not have ’exceptional circumstances’ to deviate from the figure produced by the use of the Standard Method. Our arguments are based on those put together by the Wirral Green Space Alliance and show why we believe the predicted 12,000 housing need figure calculated using the standard method is far too high and that Wirral does indeed have exceptional circumstances to justify using a significantly smaller number that represents the true housing need.
In addition, the Council appointed LUC (Land Use Consultants) to prepare Wirral Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy | www.wirral.gov.uk. To see the Society’s response, Click Here.
The Council subsequently commissioned Keppie Massey to carry out a Local Plan Viability Study, which will inform and support the emerging Wirral Local Plan. The Council approached relevant landowners, site promoters, developers and affordable housing providers to seek views on the assumptions of updated costs and values to be used in the viability testing. The Society registered to be included in this and future consultations relating to this Study.
Click Here to see the Society's response to a short questionnaire from Keppie Massey inviting feedback on their current proposed testing assumptions. The Society merely commented on the proposed housing density figure used which, based on the flawed assumption that Wirral’s predicted housing need is 12,000 units, is significantly higher than that currently being used. Whilst the Society recognises that change is inevitable, such changes should be gradual and spread over time to allow communities to come to terms with them. Although paragraph 122 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) highlights the need for the efficient use of land, the Society emphasised that it also recognises the need to retain the character of an area.
In March 2021, the Council launched a consultation on its Wirral Housing Density Study 2021 to which the Society has responded in two parts, both of which can be viewed here. Part 1 provides a general response. Part 2 responds to specific sections in the reports.
Government Consultations
Last autumn the Government put out two public consultations of particular importance as they concerned proposed reforms to planning processes. The Heswall Society has responded to both.
The first paper was titled Changes to the current planning system - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The Society's response incorporated input from the Wirral Green Space Alliance (of which we are members). In particular, the proposal to change the standard method used to predict housing need was especially contentious and strongly opposed.
The second was the longer and more complex Planning for the Future: planning policy changes in England in 2020 and future reforms - House of Commons Library (parliament.uk). In our view, the White Paper displayed several good intentions and much of the rhetoric around objectives was laudable. However, what was being proposed did not help address the current real issues. Indeed, the Society’s view is that the current system, although slow and in need of improvement, is not nearly as flawed as made out, and the proposed changes would make the whole system much less open to public scrutiny and input. Click Here to see the Society's response
Members on e-mail were informed and encouraged to respond to these consultations and, to help, were provided with copies of the Society’s responses, which were also sent to our MP and our three Local Councillors. Subsequently, and encouragingly, it appears that the Government is having to backtrack on the proposed modified standard method to estimate housing need. Many MPs (particularly in the shires) and other organisations have firmly opposed this proposal, as it places housing in rural areas and not in urban environments where housing stock is actually required.
At the beginning of this year, the Government put out a consultation on allowing as permitted development, change of any use within Use Class E to Residential. This followed a change to the Use Classes Order last year creating Use Class E, merging various Commercial, Business and Service uses, typically found on our High Streets, which had previously been classed separately, some but not all with permitted development rights to change to Residential. In order to respond to this, the Society reconvened a small working group that had been set up to address an earlier Merseyside Civic Society consultation on rejuvenating town centres. Our response emphasised our objection to the proposal to extend permitted development rights to areas of outstanding natural beauty, the Broads, National Parks and Conservation Areas. We consider they are too important not to be subject to the full scrutiny of a planning application. The Society also took the opportunity to raise concerns that precipitate actions will be taken without due regard to the sensitivities, uniqueness and environment of our loved and valued local communities, open spaces and Green Belt. Click Here to view the various questions raised in the consultation and the Society's response.
The first paper was titled Changes to the current planning system - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The Society's response incorporated input from the Wirral Green Space Alliance (of which we are members). In particular, the proposal to change the standard method used to predict housing need was especially contentious and strongly opposed.
The second was the longer and more complex Planning for the Future: planning policy changes in England in 2020 and future reforms - House of Commons Library (parliament.uk). In our view, the White Paper displayed several good intentions and much of the rhetoric around objectives was laudable. However, what was being proposed did not help address the current real issues. Indeed, the Society’s view is that the current system, although slow and in need of improvement, is not nearly as flawed as made out, and the proposed changes would make the whole system much less open to public scrutiny and input. Click Here to see the Society's response
Members on e-mail were informed and encouraged to respond to these consultations and, to help, were provided with copies of the Society’s responses, which were also sent to our MP and our three Local Councillors. Subsequently, and encouragingly, it appears that the Government is having to backtrack on the proposed modified standard method to estimate housing need. Many MPs (particularly in the shires) and other organisations have firmly opposed this proposal, as it places housing in rural areas and not in urban environments where housing stock is actually required.
At the beginning of this year, the Government put out a consultation on allowing as permitted development, change of any use within Use Class E to Residential. This followed a change to the Use Classes Order last year creating Use Class E, merging various Commercial, Business and Service uses, typically found on our High Streets, which had previously been classed separately, some but not all with permitted development rights to change to Residential. In order to respond to this, the Society reconvened a small working group that had been set up to address an earlier Merseyside Civic Society consultation on rejuvenating town centres. Our response emphasised our objection to the proposal to extend permitted development rights to areas of outstanding natural beauty, the Broads, National Parks and Conservation Areas. We consider they are too important not to be subject to the full scrutiny of a planning application. The Society also took the opportunity to raise concerns that precipitate actions will be taken without due regard to the sensitivities, uniqueness and environment of our loved and valued local communities, open spaces and Green Belt. Click Here to view the various questions raised in the consultation and the Society's response.
