1.1 Unitary Development Plans (UDP) were introduced for metropolitan areas by the Local Government Act 1985. The provisions have now been re-enacted within the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended by the Planning and Compensation Act 1991.

1.2 The process of preparing a UDP is set out in Government regulations. This includes specific provision for public consultation, for the registering of objections and for duly made objections to be considered at a public inquiry. The relevant dates for each stage in the preparation of the UDP for Wirral are set out in Appendix 1 to this document.

1.3 This document is the amended Written Statement, which, together with the accompanying Proposals Maps, now forms the finally adopted version of the UDP. It is the sole land-use planning policy framework for the Borough, being the only statutory Development Plan for the area.

NOTE: These web pages do not form the statutory UDP - they are a facsimile made available for information purposes only.

1.4 The document incorporates the former Merseyside Green Belt Local Plan (with additions and amended policies), and supersedes the following Plans, which are now no longer in force:-

  • The Merseyside Structure Plan
  • The Wallasey Town Map
  • The Birkenhead Town Map
  • The Hoylake Town Map
  • The Heswall Town Map
  • The Ellesmere Port Town Map (part of)
  • The Neston Town map (part of)
  • All other non-statutory local plans

1.5 This document also supersedes all previous versions of the UDP. The following documents should, therefore, no longer be used as an official statement of the Council's planning policies:

  • Issues and Draft Part One Polices (1990)
  • Draft for Public Consultation (1992)
  • Deposit Draft (1994)
  • First Proposed Alterations (1995)
  • Second Proposed Alterations (1996)
  • Third Proposed Alterations (1996)
  • Proposed Modifications (1998)
  • Further Proposed Modifications (1999)