UPDATE JUNE 2023
We have Good News, Birkenhead School's second planning application to build 33 houses on Noctorum Playing Field has been refused!
UPDATE MAY 2023
Birkenhead School has submitted a new planning application, OUT/23/00478, to build 33 houses on Noctorum Playing Field. The only way to stop the field from being sold for development is for as many people as possible to formally object to their Outline Planning Application.
HURRY ACT NOW! The deadline is 4th June 2023
Submit your objection here
UPDATE april 2023
NRRA Supports Local Green Space Designation for Noctorum Field
Members were joined by our Councillors George Davies, Steve Foulkes and Gill Wood to demonstrate their support for Local Green Space designation for Noctorum Field.
Birkenhead School has opposed the proposed Local Green Space designation for Noctorum Field in the Draft Wirral Borough Council Local Plan 2101-2035, which has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination. NRRA has no right of representation in the event of a hearing as part of the examination.
Local Green Space designation, if achieved, would give Green Belt status to Noctorum Field and protect it for future generations (as much as we can), for playing sport and providing green space. This was the founding aim of NRRA.
We were delighted when the Council designated the field as a proposed Local Green Space. Follow the link to NRRA’s open petition (753 signatures) asking Wirral Borough Council to designate Noctorum Field as a Local Green Space Protect Noctorum Field & Preserve Wirral Green Space
The application for LGS designation for Noctorum Field was supported by the Wirral Society and the Open Spaces Society.
UPDATE FEBRUARY 2022
You may be aware that Birkenhead School has lodged an appeal on the basis of non-determination for their planning application, OUT/21/01516, for Noctorum Field. This appeal bypasses the usual democratic process of decision-making by WBC and its Planning Department, transferring the decision to a Planning Inspector. Our understanding is that this appeal process could take up to 52 weeks.
The decision of WBC is still important, and we are very pleased to report the good news that the Planning Department has now written a report stating the Council Planning Committee’s recommended decision is to resolve that it would have refused this planning application.
This report is on the agenda for a Planning Committee meeting on 17th March 2022 at 6.00 pm at the Floral Pavilion, New Brighton and can be found on the planning website. We are asking to be represented at this meeting by our planning consultant and our committee.
The more of us who can be present to support NRRA’s opposition to the planning application, the better. Banners, placards or posters would be fantastic, especially homemade ones. This is a chance for everyone who opposes the planning application to make a difference. We will be gathering outside the Floral Pavilion at 5:30 pm, please be there to show your support!
NRRA is very grateful for the support of our three local ward councillors; George Davies, Gill Wood and Steve Foulkes, we have asked Cllr Gill Wood to speak in defence of retaining the playing field as a manifold local amenity at the Planning Meeting. Cllr Wood lodged our 1600plus signature petition at the full meeting of Wirral Borough Council in December.
And thank you to all our members for your ongoing help and continued support.
UPDATE JANUARY 2022
You may have seen the photograph in the local press during Cop26 of members handing over the petition against the development of the field to our local Claughton Ward Councillor Gill Wood.
The photograph was taken adjacent to the field. In December Councillor Gill Wood lodged our petition against the proposed development of the field with 1688 signatories to the full meeting of Wirral Borough Council (WBC). Our other ward councillors, George Davies and Steve Foulkes have, along with Gill, been very supportive of our campaign and we want to thank them publicly here for their efforts on our behalf.
In the meantime, we have the support of Sport England to save the field as a playing field. They have made their objection to the school's plans formal during last year’s consultation process.
We are hopefully awaiting the imminent publication of the decision on our application to have the field designated a Local Green Space in the draft WBC Local Plan. Such a designation would confer on the field a status equivalent to green belt.
At the time of writing the school’s plans are not yet listed for the Planning Committee.
GUIDANCE ON MAKING YOUR OBJECTION
Comments should be “material considerations” (see below) which may in this case relate to loss of a playing field and pavilion, loss of a green open space which is popular for walking, running and cycling, loss of trees, nature and biodiversity, traffic or highways.
Material considerations
A material consideration is a matter that should be taken into account in deciding a planning application and can include (but is not limited to):
• Loss of light or overshadowing
• Overlooking/loss of privacy
• Visual amenity (but not loss of private view)
• Adequacy of parking/loading/turning
• Highway safety
• Traffic generation
• Noise and disturbance resulting from use
• Loss of trees
• Effect on listed building, conservation area or archaeological interest
• Layout and density of building
• Design, appearance and materials • Landscaping
• Road access
• Disability access
• Local, strategic, regional and national planning policies, including emerging policies
• Government circulars, orders and statutory instruments
• Previous planning decisions (including appeal decisions)
• Nature conservation & biodiversity issues
• Deficiencies in community/social facilities (loss of playing pitch)
• Capacity of local infrastructure i.e. public drainage or water systems
“The scope of what can constitute a material consideration is very wide and so the courts often do not indicate what cannot be a material consideration. However, in general, they have taken the view that planning is concerned with land use in the public interest, so that the protection of purely private interests such as the impact of a development on the value of a neighbouring property or loss of private rights to light could not be material considerations.”
PRESS RELEASE! 21 july 2021
Hundreds sign letter to protect historic Birkenhead playing field as a green space.
More than 600 people have signed an open letter to Wirral Borough Councillors asking them to help protect a historic playing field.
The letter from residents of Noctorum Ridge, Prenton, lodged on the 38degrees website and signed by people across Merseyside and beyond, seeks green space designation for long established footpaths, bridleways and wooded areas including Noctorum Field.
Noctorum Ridge Residents Association (NRRA) is appealing for people to support protection of all green spaces across the borough by taking part in a council online consultation Local Plan exercise which seeks to protect local green beauty spots.
But with just two days to go until the consultation closure, residents are fighting off a last minute application for outline planning permission to build 33 houses on the local beauty spot submitted by it's Birkenhead School owners.
In a press release to accompany their scrambled application, Birkenhead Headmaster, Paul Vicars, described the 120 year-old playing field as "redundant".
Residents, activists and many parents are deeply disappointed that the school is now choosing to plough ahead with the controversial sell-off plan, first announced 18 months ago, which seeks to destroy a long established sporting, nature and wildlife sanctuary.
"This corner of Birkenhead has been built around the green oasis of Noctorum Field. Building on it now would be like building on a historic village green. It deserves protection from that point of view alone and it is heartening to see so many people wanting to protect it as it is," said NRRA co-Chair, Carmel Nolan.
"The Headmaster is wrong to describe the field as redundant. There is nothing superfluous about it. It still has great purpose as a functioning green space. It is increasingly valued as a natural beauty spot. The public rights of way here have seen much increase of use through the pandemic as local green amenity and exercise space. And just because the current management of Birkenhead School are choosing to under-use it as a playing field through the pandemic, does not mean it does not have a great future ahead as a playing field if it is protected for future generations. We hope the School will still come to rethink the field's future as a green space too. In any case, we are urging Wirral Councillors to do the right thing by the environment, by residents, by climate emergency and by children's right to play spaces and protect the very evident multi-uses of this beautiful green eco and play space."
To sign the petition click here and to save Noctorum Field and other Wirral Green spaces click here.
