MORE than 2,000 people have signed a petition urging the Government to protect Wirral's Green Belt from redevelopment.
It comes as public consultation on the town hall's "Local Plan" for housing across the borough has been launched this week.
The plan is a statutory requirement which guides where housing and other developments can be built in an area.
A Government target for housing building means there must be enough land for 800 new homes every year for the next 15 years – 12,000 in total.
The Change.Org petition has been set up by Pensby and Thingwall Councillor Phill Brightmore and now has 2,057 signatures.
In a letter to the Communities Secretary James Brokenshire, Cllr Brightmore called on the minister put a stop to housing targets for Wirral.
The letter read "Dear Secretary of State,
"Residents across Wirral are outraged by the threat to our precious Green Belt to simply satisfy your Government's national house building targets.
"The target of 800 new houses per year for Wirral means we have to identify available land for 12,000 new houses over the next 15 years.
"We know there is pressure to provide suitable homes for Wirral residents.
"But the demand is for homes to be built or adapted for our ageing population, for starter homes and affordable homes for young couples and families, and homes for people to downsize into but remain in the communities where they have planted their roots.
"But these Tory Government targets cannot be met with available brownfield sites alone - a fact your Department is well are of - and so as a last resort we are now having to look at the Green Belt to meet this target.
"Some of the sites identified are important historical landmarks, fields and woods which have been part of the Wirral community for decades, or serve to separate towns and villages which have their own identity and personality.
"Mr Brokenshire, you sat looking at Google Maps isn't going to have the local knowledge required, it should be Wirral residents who decide what our housing needs are, not yourself or Ministers in Whitehall.
"Stop this Green Belt grab."
Cllr Brightmore has organised a public meeting on the Local Plan, which will take place on Tuesday, July 31 at St Michael's and All Angels Church in Gills Lane, Pensby, starting at 6pm.
Reflecting on the petition, Cllr Brightmore added: "I'm not, at all, surprised our petition has been signed by over 2,000 people.
"I think its popularity among Wirral residents backs up what we've been saying all along: top-down Tory house targets which threaten our precious Green Belt are not welcome.
"Local people should decide what housing should be built and where, not a Minister looking at a Google map in Westminster.
"Every extra name to the signature makes our voice stronger.
"My plea to the residents of Wirral is this - if you love our greenbelt, please sign and share."
The leader of Wirral's Conservative group, Cllr Ian Lewis, said: "Up until May, Cllr. Brightmore was the cabinet member for the environment.
"He's had plenty of opportunity, along with the rest of the Cabinet, to come up with the legally-required local plan to protect our Green Belt.
"Presumably Labour’s wafer-thin majority of 23 votes in Pensby has helped to focus his mind."
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