Heswall and Pensby greenbelt sites amongst several on which Leverhulme Vision hopes to build hundreds of Wirral homes

Documents submitted to Wirral Council reveal that Leverhulme Vision has plans to build more houses on land in the borough it owns.

Leverhulme is Wirral's largest landowner with over 5,000 acres, and at this stage it is undertaking a 'screening and scoping' process. In other words, it intends to submit full planning applications next year, but in the meantime wishes to gauge both council and public opinion.

Some if not all of these new proposed development sites appear to be greenfield, which is likely to make the projects contentious. Defending the green belt attracts votes, and all the main Wirral parties have pledged to stand firm. Find out more by clicking or tapping here.

But Wirral council also needs to build houses to meet the government's target of 12,000 new homes by 2035.

Earlier this year Leverhulme Vision set out its stall by arguing for a change of approach to the green belt debate. Following research that informed its Vision pamphlet published in the summer, Nigel McGurk, Head of Land and Planning for Leverhulme, said: "There is also a wish for communities and not just homes and recognition that we need to move towards modern, biodiverse farmland to create a future thriving rural economy.

"These are central to the Leverhulme Vision and, due to the size of its landholding, only the Estate has the capability to deliver benefits of this kind at a scale that will make a positive difference to people's lives.

"There remains an urgent requirement for a more holistic debate and a need to move away from the simplistic and outdated approach which sees everything as 'greenfield – bad, brownfield – good'."

Whether or not this point of view strikes a major chord with people living near these pieces of land remains to be seen.

- Land at Milner Road and Barnston Road, Heswall - SCR/21/02377

- Land East of Thorncroft Drive, North of Gills Lane, Pensby - SCR/21/02381

- Land West of Barnston Road, North of Gills Lane, Barnston - SCR/21/02379

- Land West of Raby Hall, Raby Hall Road, Raby Mere - Ditto

With regard to the Milner Road and Barnston Road greenfield land development in Heswall, Leverhulme Vision says: "Whilst the proposals are being finalised presently, this EIA screening and scoping opinion request is submitted on the basis that the proposals will be for a maximum 120 new C3 dwellings. 10% of this (up to 12 dwellings) will be provided as self/custom-build homes."

C3 refers to a dwelling house for up to six people living together as a single household and receiving care: for example, supported housing schemes such as those for people with learning disabilities or mental health problems.

You can find out more and comment by visiting the Wirral council planning site.

Click or tap here to search for the proposals by entering the reference numbers above.

Be warned, the Milner Road / Barnston Road document alone is some 90 pages long.