Wirral Council will sell off a former Ministry of Defence site for a major housing development.
The sale was approved by councillors at a policy and resources committee meeting which makes key decisions about council finances.
The nearly 20-acre site is in Bromborough just off Old Hall Road. Previously outline planning permission was given for up to 249 homes which will be developed by the council’s joint venture with developer Muse, the Wirral Growth Company.
READ MORE: ‘I tried H&M’s £13 dupe for Hermes’ £570 sandals and left impressed’
The housing development is linked with an application next door for 217 homes on the Riverside Business Park. Together up to 466 homes will be built under current plans.
The planning application for the houses was approved with requirements for 20% affordable housing, new cycle lanes and footpaths as well as new bus stops on Old Hall Road.
The area is near to Eastham Country Park. In November councillors argued the development would help improve the area and support the local authority’s draft local plan which is currently being examined by the UK government.
The Ministry of Defence previously used the site to store oil underground and is no longer considered contaminated after extensive surveys of the area. It was bought by the council in 2005 and was later included in a number of sites to be developed by the Wirral Growth Company.
The plans included creating “an attractive well-designed residential development appropriate to its setting” with the houses being a mixture of two, three, and four bedroom homes.
It has not been made public how much the council plans to sell the land for but as it will be over £500,000, the sale needed to be approved by the committee. The management of the sale will be conducted by council directors.
At the meeting, Wirral Council leader Janette Williamson welcomed a new report that praised progress the council has made since it was slated for decision making and financement management in 2021.
While it praised encouraging progress, the report said the council was still in a precarious financial position due to low levels of backup funds and a need to “challenge more historic issues” going forward after the 2023 local elections.
Cllr Williamson said: “I think we should be proud of ourselves and the journey we’ve taken and the improvements we’ve made.”
She said she hoped the progress would be reflected by the council’s watchdog Independent Assurance Panel, adding: “We seem to be downplaying the huge strides we have made as a council.”
READ NEXT:
Thomas Cashman murder trial resumes as man accused of shooting schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel
Burglar mocked shop staff saying 'go on, ring the police see what happens'
Martin Lewis urges everyone to 'send two texts' before April
