Wirral Council has given its support to an innovative planning application which uses the value generated by new housing development to fund a range of community benefits in the Eastham Conservation Area and Green Belt.

An unconventional package of new development has received support from Wirral Council.  A small pocket of 21 houses will enable the development of a new sports pavilion, a community facilities building, a car park and reconstructed sports pitches at Anselmians Rugby Club in Eastham.  A financial appraisal has demonstrated that the amount of housing development is the minimum needed to provide funding for other aspects of the scheme. A number of planning challenges needed to be addressed.

Support was gained from Sport England and the Rugby Football Union in recognition of the potential for broader participation in sport.  The site falls in a Conservation Area and in the Green Belt.  It was shown that any harm to the character of the Conservation Area would not be significant and that the range of community benefits amount to very special circumstances, justifying the development in the Green Belt.

Cass Associates provided planning project management ensuring that the complex set of planning issues were considered in a comprehensive and cogent way.