West Kirby flats approved despite objections and concerns raised by Heswall councillor

Flats described as "overbearing" were approved despite objections from local residents and councillors.

A bungalow can now be knocked down and replaced with a three-storey building featuring six flats at 9 Caldy Road in West Kirby. The flats will be similar to those built next door at 7 Caldy Road.

Those in favour of the scheme, 7 to 5, argued there wasn't grounds to refuse the application at a Wirral Council planning committee meeting despite concerns over a lack of light to one room if the development went ahead.

Concerns were also raised that the development, put forward by Blueoak Estates, could lead to a rejected application on 11 Caldy Road to be resubmitted. Cllr Steve Foulkes praised the scheme saying he had been to the site but insisted he had not "predetermined" his opinion.

Cllr Foulkes said: "I have a lot of sympathy with objectors and the potential changing nature of the road" but argued the reasons for refusal did not exist based on previous planning decisions on the road.

He argued that maximised use of brownfield sites should be "taken advantage of" because of the council's draft Local Plan policy to use land already developed for housing. He said: "People think you can have it both ways. I'm afraid you can't have it both ways."

Cllr Foulkes added: "If it is in a posh area, we should look at it more seriously. If it's in downtown Birkenhead you can build what you like. That's a political opinion and does not influence my decision."

This didn't go down well with local councillors present who were strongly opposed to the application. Cllr Simon Mountney, who represents West Kirby, afterwards said the flats "will lead to overdevelopment of the area."

Cllr Jenny Johnson spoke strongly against the application saying the development would block light to the building next door and the street as well as health and safety on the road. She said that going from a bungalow to a three storey building was an "over development of the site."

She labelled it an "overbearing form of over development and a poor outlook for the residents in nearby dwellings." She said the proposal and the building next door would create "two blocks of flats with a passage between them."

She also criticised the loss of green space and the loss of mature trees arguing this would impact biodiversity in the area.

Martha McInerney, who lives on Caldy Road, said: "We feel this is part of a planning campaign by Blueoak to develop this whole strip of road between numbers seven and 11."

Asteer Planning, representing Blueoak, said changes had been made over objections to the application and they had responded in detail. They argued the flats would make a positive contribution to the area and would be an "effective use of land on a currently unutilised brownfield site."

Heswall's Cllr Kathy Hodson and Chair Stuart Kelly raised concerns about the loss of light to a bedroom in the neighbouring block of flats and proposed to reject the application on these grounds which lost by one vote.