A commentary on Sefton Council’s bizarre Local Plan process from Malcolm and Joan Gore of Maghull:-
I read with interest this weeks article [Champion newspaper of 22nd July] on the Local Plan and Councillor Maher’s [Council Leader] comments but feel there should be a few points of clarification.
Firstly the new figures are from the D.C.L.G. a government department and would be the same irrespective of which party is in power.
Secondly, what the Council decided was to submit the plan as it stands but to immediately review it in light of the new statistics. To this end they are providing the inspector with details of sites, previously rejected and some new ones, that developers have applied for since the plan was passed.
They promise to consult with neighbouring authorities, hoping that they will increase their housing provision but as they all have already had their Local Plans passed, this is a bit of a “red herring”. In fact if Sefton had produced a plan quicker, we would not be in this predicament.
This means that if the plan for 615 houses is adopted the Council can then review it and build even more houses, wherever they want, without consultation, with Lydiate and Maghull Green Belt taking an even bigger hit.
The 615 figure has always been vigorously contested by everyone, so now the figures are approaching the ridiculous. The council should be disputing these household projection figures, which has seen Sefton’s rise from one of the lowest in the country to one of the highest in the space of a few years but why would they when originally back in 2013, the third draft plan option was to build even more houses on more greenbelt land.
Malcolm and Joan Gore
Maghull residents.