An independent planning inspector has granted permission for a highly controversial scheme to build 39 properties on land known as the sheep field in West Kirby.
Trustees for the owners of the land, on Grange Road, had appealed Wirral Council’s decision to throw out the plan.
The outcome follows a week-long hearing held at Birkenhead Town Hall last month, at which local residents spoke out against the scheme.
In his judgement letter, Patrick Hanna concludes that the scheme “would not have a significant adverse effect on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, with particular regard to effects on the streetscene, the setting of West Kirby, and green space.”
He found that it is in accordance with the council’s current planning policies and that the benefits outweigh the harms.
His report concedes that it would “result in the openness and pastoral quality at the northern part of the site being very considerably reduced and, as a result, the townscape here would become more urban in character”.
However, he added: “A section of open frontage along Grange Road would be retained by the proposal, albeit a relatively compact area. Most of the landscape features of the site would also remain, including most of the mature trees as well as the distinctive sandstone walling along the site frontage which would be retained with the exception of the site access itself or rebuilt in a set-back position.
He goes on: “The development of the southern part of the site would have a very limited impact on landscape features. Additional tree and hedgerow planting is also proposed across the site along with pond reinstatement.
“On this basis, I find that the susceptibility to change of the site is medium, with sensitivity being very much at the lower end of medium/high. The magnitude of change is also medium. Overall, this results in a landscape harm of moderate significance on the landscape within the site and along this part of the Grange Road corridor.”
Local residents had raised concerns about the impact on traffic on Grange Road, but Mr Hanna has concluded that the additional houses would only equate to one vehicle every 2-3 minutes during peak times and “would not come anywhere near to causing a severe residual cumulative impact on the road network.”
Under its new Local Plan, Wirral Council had proposed making the site local green space, meaning it would have been safeguarded from development. However, it is still being considered at planning hearings and is not yet in place.
In his decision letter, the inspector says his confidence in the proposed green space policy is “considerably reduced by the Council’s concession that amendments may yet still be required to achieve the consistency with green belt policy that is required”.