From Coun. John Cocker,

Chair of Planning Committee:-

IN response to recent letters published in Mailbox I would like to respond highlighting two fundamental stages to the planning process:

i) The establishment of formal plans for each local authority - in our case a Unitary Development Plan.

ii) Dealing with individual planning applications - these can take up ideas laid down in the UDP or be completely different, and are judged on their individual 'planning' merit.

In the formal plan for Wirral the site in question is shown as a tourism development site, and in 1990 a planning brief was prepared indicating that the site could be used as a hotel or restaurant. The site has since then been marketed for such development and the private market was requested to come up with its ideas and make an offer for the land.

The UDP proposals were the subject of intense publicity and there were one or two objections to the idea of the site being used for tourism development. These objections were eventually conditionally withdrawn. The preparation of the formal plans for an area is the time for wide consultation.

The restaurant/public house is the only serious offer that the Council has had after seven years of the site being on the market. We would have hoped for a range of options to chose from - but that is not the case.

There is also criticism of the principle of public houses which I must admit I see rather differently. I believe that public houses and restaurants can be perfectly acceptable for families and the proposal before us specifically caters for families with young children. I know many people who enjoy restaurants and public houses without drinking alcohol at all and it is not true that a public house equals, as a matter of course, loutish behaviour.

Moving on to the second stage in planning:-

At the time of a planning application there is a requirement that neighbours be subject to wide consultation although they are all included on the council's weekly press list of applications, and in this case a site notice was displayed at the site for any interested member of the public to see. To widely consult the public individually on this application would therefore be unnecessary and unusual. Rest assured that nine times out of ten people will object to any change taking place in their area - particularly if open land is involved.

If we are to encourage the private sector to invest in Wirral and Wallasey/New Brighton in particular, we have to deal with entrepreneurs ideas with speed and effectiveness. To say no at this time to the principle of a proposal that we as the council have been encouraging for seven years, would make the council look ridiculous.

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