Wirral school's plan for 33 homes rejected by councillors

Birkenhead School, an independent school on Beresford Road in Oxton wants to sell off Noctorum Field and gain planning permission for up to 33 homes on the site. The proposal has faced fierce local opposition.

At last night's meeting of Wirral Council’s Planning Committee, all councillors rejected the homes plan.

But this does not mean it is dead in the water, as Birkenhead School has taken the application to the Planning Inspectorate where it will ultimately be accepted or rejected.

The school said that along with its homes plan, it would upgrade its existing sports hall and build an additional multi-purpose sports facility at its Bidston Road campus, featuring rooms for fitness activities, meetings and events. But a petition against the application, organised by the Noctorum Ridge Residents Association (NRRA), attracted more than 1,600 signatures.

Speaking for the NRRA at last night’s meeting, Matthew Gilbert, said the large playing field and green space was at the heart of the community. Mr Gilbert added that it was "valued so highly".

Labour councillor Gill Wood, who represents the ward subject to the proposal, said the plan was of "deep concern" to the local community who have come together to unite and campaign to oppose this proposal. She said the plan meant concreting over green space and losing a "vital" sports pitch.

How the new facilities could look. Picture: Birkenhead School

Cllr Wood said she hoped the committee would reject the plan and send a clear message that Wirral Council protects green spaces and protects residents’ needs ahead of "developers' greed".

But speaking on behalf of Birkenhead School, Mark Turner said he did not want to avoid local input by taking the plan to appeal, but said the school needed to keep the momentum of the plan going.

He added the pitches were currently not used at all and the plan would enable the school to award “transformative bursaries” which would give an opportunity to access private education for people who may not otherwise be able to.

Part of the school’s plan to compensate for the loss of Noctorum Field under its plan is to support local rugby clubs.

Brian Elkerton, from Prenton Rugby Club, said the support for his club would benefit the local community and schools, create a new community hub and a new pitch which could be used by local football clubs and others.

He added the plans for the rugby club would help to combat loneliness, promote physical health, mental health and combat anti-social behaviour.

But councillors were unconvinced by the application. Labour’s Steve Foulkes said officers had put together one of the most comprehensive set of reasons for refusal he had ever seen.

While Liberal Democrat councillor Stuart Kelly, who chairs the committee, also did not think the mitigation offered through support to local rugby clubs was enough given Sport England’s opposition to the proposal.

Documents prepared for tonight’s meeting showed planning officers wanted the committee to refuse the school’s application for several reasons, including the current playing pitches not being surplus to requirements.

Officers also felt the proposed mitigation package is inadequate to compensate for the loss of the existing Noctorum Playing Field.

The document added: "The loss of this previously undeveloped site for a residential development, particularly one that has a higher density than the prevailing character of the area, would have a clear adverse impact on the character of this area.”

Another part of the document read: "The proposal is considered to constitute unsustainable development due to the site being located a substantial distance from local services and the lack of a dedicated pedestrian footpath for substantial parts of the surrounding road network.

"This will result in significant highway safety concerns and will dissuade future occupiers of the site to consider alternative, sustainable transport modes."

Speaking prior to the meeting about the school's reasons for going to the Planning Inspectorate, headmaster Paul Vicars said: "The school is frustrated by the delays in determining both planning applications which together would enable us to invest £4m into the sporting futures of young people across Wirral.

"Information provided to them has not been published for public awareness of the benefits that will accrue, leading to some understandably misinformed objections.

"The proposals for Noctorum Field and the investment in a new sports hall are vital for both Birkenhead School and the wider community. Not only would they unlock new sporting facilities for local young people but they would also further improve access to transformational education, deliver much needed new homes outside of the green belt and increase local biodiversity."

Mr Vicars added: "The failure to determine the applications within the statutory period means we had no choice but to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate for a decision, to ensure that momentum towards the benefits for the community continues, including the two local rugby clubs supported by our proposals.

"The school is disappointed that the clear benefits for the school and wider community appear not to have been recognised and that a prompt and fair local determination hasn’t been made. We remain happy to work with the council and look forward to delivering the improvements envisaged."

A spokesperson for Wirral Council said: "The school has known throughout this process that there are local and national policy challenges that come with any application to build on playing fields.

"However, planning officers had been working with the applicant to address other technical matters right up to the point when they decided to submit an appeal."

A spokesperson for the NRRA, which has been campaigning against the plan, said: "We hope that the headmaster and governors may yet reconsider their decision to pursue this flawed application, and that this playing field and valuable community green space is retained for use by future generations.

"Wirral has a shortage of outdoor playing pitches and needs this large playing field and pavilion."