Wirral Local Plan hearings resume

Wirral’s Local Plan examination restarts on Tuesday 12 September at Birkenhead Town Hall.  

The Local Plan document, once approved, will underpin future development across all of Wirral for the next 15 years. 

Wirral’s Local Plan, once adopted by the council, will show where various types of development will be located in the borough to meet future needs, such as where new infrastructure - such as walking and cycling links, or new schools – as well as housing, shops and businesses, should be provided.   

However, before being formally adopted by the council it needs to be examined by Planning Inspectors who will check it meets the legal requirements to be accepted by holding a series of formal hearings held in public. 

At the hearings, each session considers a specific issue raised by the Inspector who will lead a discussion with those who are participating. The council as local planning authority will take part in all the sessions because it is the council’s Local Plan.  

The inspectors will use the hearings to help them assess whether the plan is ‘sound’. National planning policy issued by the government states that local plans must meet four tests of soundness – that the plan is positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national planning policy.  

If the Inspectors find the final Local Plan to be ’sound’ and legally compliant, then subject to any modifications they recommend, the council will be asked to approve and adopt the final version of the Local Plan which the council will then use to determine individual planning applications. 

The public can attend the examination in person, watch live online or watch a recording at a later time. Only those who have been invited in advance to speak will be able to address the examination. Weeks 1 and 2 of the hearings were held back in May. 

• Week 3 starts 12 September  
• Week 4 starts  3 October  
• Week 5 starts 10 October  
• Week 6 starts 17 October  
• Week 7 starts 31 October  
• Week 8 starts 7 November  

All information relating to the Local Plan examination, including documents and livestream links, is available on the Local Plan webpages which are also regularly updated with new documents and information.