Wirral Council

📍 Local Plan update // Following last week’s news that Wirral’s brownfield-only Local Plan has been approved by government planning inspectors, councillors will now meet to formally adopt it. The Local Plan is a big deal because it’s the blueprint for how Wirral should be developed over the next 15 years – outlining how and where much needed new homes, jobs and infrastructure can be delivered, helping to shape the future of the whole borough. Wirral’s Local Plan is focused on developing previously used land and will help to protect our rich natural and built heritage, while also addressing inequalities and building a sustainable, inclusive economy for everyone. An extraordinary full council meeting has been called for 31 March. To read more, search for Local Plan on the council website.

🦋 Big news for nature lovers - and our bees and butterflies! 15 new wildflower meadows are being created on land which had already been designated as ‘rewilding areas’. ✅ Sites carefully selected after field surveys ✅ Soil testing ensures the best native wildflowers bloom ✅ Long-term management plans to keep them thriving ✅ Supporting bees, butterflies and other pollinators. 🌼 The first site to see works is Magazine Promenade (New Brighton). This area, and the site proposed for The Esplanade (Rock Park) are funded by the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The other 13 sites are backed by a one-off 'Neighbourhoods Investment Fund' of £300,000 that was allocated last year by elected members for 2024-25. Works will start with the ploughing of the ground to get them ready to sow the seeds. Wildflower meadows can take time to develop - and if successful the first blooms will only start to show in summer so keep an eye out for signs to make sure you aren't disturbing developing sites. 🐝

🏆 Wirral's community safety team wins big! Recognised at Keep Britain Tidy’s Network Awards for their impactful Environmental Action Days across Noctorum, Woodchurch, Beechwood, Ballantyne & north Birkenhead: 🌿 Cleared litter and revitalised streets 🏘️ Provided free waste disposal & support to residents 🎶 Boosted local pride with food, music, and volunteer spirit 🔥 Ran a safer, cleaner Bonfire Night with community-driven events Thanks to everyone who has been involved - helping build communities that we can all be proud of! 👏🌱

“I feel more confident and supported now. It’s been a game changer.” That’s what one Wirral parent had to say after receiving help from the borough’s children and family services following massive reforms to the way they work. A year ago, Wirral was selected as one of ten local authorities to deliver the Families First for Children (FFC) Pathfinder programme. Since then, head-to-toe changes to the way they work have seen services transformed within the council, along with Wirral’s schools, Merseyside Police, third sector and other partner organisations. Multi-agency and multi-disciplinary teams, where specialists and key workers from different services or organisations work together, have been particularly successful. Families and professionals are seeing real improvements, with faster response times – sometimes in just a few hours – and parents, like the one quoted above, are feeling more supported. New Families First Programme guidance published by the government on 20 March will set an expectation for ALL councils to now carry out these reforms in how they approach child protection and early family help - to catch concerns before they escalate. The changes across our borough are now shaping national reforms in children’s services nationwide - improving support for families and helping more children stay in safe, loving homes while protecting vulnerable children from harm when necessary. Our teams and partners will continue to build on the already incredible work and improvements we’ve seen during our own journey with the Pathfinder, and they will be sharing local learning and best practice with teams across the North West as they now follow suit. A massive thank you to Wirral families for working with us, sharing feedback and embracing these changes – together we continue to strive to improve outcomes for Wirral’s young people, together.

If you enjoy immersing yourself in local history, get yourself down to Wirral History and Heritage Fair this Saturday! 🏛️⛲ More than 100 local heritage organisations are taking part, including Birkenhead Park, Birkenhead Priory, Flaybrick Memorial Gardens, Port Sunlight, Williamson Art Gallery and the West Kirby Museum. There will be historical artefacts and archive photography on display, as well as the opportunity to find out about local societies, heritage walks and tours. Family history experts will also be on hand with advice for those interested in looking into their family tree. 📅 Saturday 22 March, 10am – 4pm 📍 Hulme Hall, Bolton Rd, Bebington, CH62 5DH.

🚨 New lifesaving kits being installed across Wirral The first four of 20 Lifesaving Emergency Bleeding Control Kits have been installed across the borough. These kits give anybody the ability to help stop severe blood loss in emergencies. 🔹 What are they? Similar to defibrillators, these kits buy time until paramedics arrive. Each kit contains: ✅ A tourniquet & trauma dressings ✅ Foil blanket & gloves ✅ Simple step-by-step instructions 🔹 How do they make a difference? In serious incidents, every second counts. Ambulances can take 7 minutes to arrive, but someone could bleed out in 5 minutes, these kits can help control blood loss until the ambulance arrives. 🔹 Where are they? The first four kits are at: 📍 Charing Cross, Birkenhead 📍 Woodchurch 📍 Liscard 📍 Heswall ...with 16 more on the way! 🔹 Get involved - Wirral Council is inviting local premises to become kit custodians. You’ll get free training and the kit – you just cover installation. 👉 Further information on the expression of interest process, what being a custodian involves, how to apply - and the exact locations of the kits - visit https://lnkd.in/eG7JhWeQ

🦋 Join us this Friday at the Liverpool City Region's drop-in event, for a chance to ask questions, learn more and leave your feedback on the draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy. The LCR Local Nature Recovery Strategy aims to restore habitats, protect species, and boost biodiversity, and a six-week consultation is now underway. This is your chance to help set priorities and shape the roadmap to recovery, and you can join us to chat, ask questions, or get help with the consultation process. 📅 Drop-in Event – 21 March 2025 📍 Birkenhead Park Visitors Centre For more information and to have your say visit https://lnkd.in/equWi6Ei 🗓️ Consultation closes 6 April 2025

🚛 What’s next for food waste collections in Wirral? You may have heard in the news that starting from 1 April 2026, all councils (including Wirral) will have to collect food waste separately to other household waste. This will be a new weekly food waste collection. This is all part of the goal to cut down on landfill waste, boost recycling and turn food waste into sustainable energy. Wirral Council, alongside our partners across the Liverpool City Region, is gearing up for this change. This is what we're working on: ✅ Joint procurement of bins, kitchen food caddies & vehicles will save costs & improve efficiency across six local councils. ✅ Food waste will be sent to for recycling that will generate sustainable energy, reducing landfill waste. ✅ Future-friendly waste collection: Vehicles can be converted to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to cut emissions. Before the new food waste collections start, households will receive information to help everyone understand how the new system will work and what they need to do. More updates will be coming on our channels as we get closer to April 2026.

⏳🔜 The deadline to apply for 15 and 30 hours of free childcare for working families - is fast approaching! If you’re an eligible working parent planning your childcare arrangements for April, you need to apply by 31 March to receive: ⌛15 hours of childcare for children aged 9 months to 3 years old. ⌛30 hours of childcare for children aged 3 or 4 years old. Don’t forget to: ✅Ask your early years provider to validate your code to confirm your place. ✅Reconfirm your code via your Childcare Choices account every three months. More info about Childcare Choices here: https://lnkd.in/eBKXse9H

After the success of our previous events in Liscard and New Brighton, Saturday’s Youth Market in Birkenhead was the largest yet with 4️⃣1️⃣ young traders and 7️⃣ up-and-coming performers, making it one of the biggest in the North West! 😎 Thank you to everyone who came along, as well as the talented musicians, performers and artists who helped make the day so special. It’s inspiring to see so much ambition, drive and talent from Wirral’s young people. 👏 Check out the video for a taster of the day!