Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) provide additional information on the detailed application of development plan policies to help land owners and developers prepare acceptable planning applications. They are material considerations for planning decisions.
Consultation on new Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)
The council is preparing five new Supplementary Planning Documents to supplement adopted planning policies in the Wirral Local Plan. The documents being produced are:
- Residential Development Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)
- Householder Development Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)
- Recreation Management and Green Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)
- Biodiversity and Nature Recovery Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)
- Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)
The development of these SPDs require a statutory public consultation to enable residents and stakeholders to have their say in their development. The consultation will be a two-phase process; Phase 1 is on the scope of each SPD.
Following that the SPDs will be developed using the feedback received and Phase 2 consultation on the content of each SPD will be carried out.
The SPD documents and consultation questions can be accessed on the council's 'Have Your Say' consultation website.
Phase 1 of the consultation on the scope of the SPDs for contributions ends at 5pm on 9 February 2026.
Current Adopted Supplementary Planning Documents
Four supplementary planning documents have been adopted. Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee at its meeting on the 17 June 2025, resolved that four Supplementary Planning Documents should be retained with additional explanatory notes identifying the parts of the document that have been superseded and will no longer be applied, following the adoption of the Wirral Local Plan on the 31 March 2025.
The PDF files below may not be suitable to view for people with disabilities, users of assistive technology or mobile phone devices. PDF maps are more suitable to view on a large screen over a wifi connection.
- SPD1 – Designing for Development by Mobile Phone Operators (October 2006)
- SPD2 – Designing for Self Contained Flat Development and Conversions (October 2006)
- SPD3 – Hot Food Takeaways, Restaurants, Cafes and Drinking Establishments (October 2006)
- SPD4 – Parking Standards (June 2007)
Supplementary Planning Guidance Notes
Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee at its meeting on the 17 June 2025, resolved that the following Supplementary Planning Guidance Notes should be retained as interim guidance following the adoption of the Wirral Local Plan on the 31 March 2025. Where required, additional explanatory notes identify the parts of the document that have been superseded and will no longer be applied.
Withdrawal of Supplementary Planning Guidance Notes
Further to the decision of the Economy Regeneration and Housing Committee at its meeting of 17 June 2025 (minute 6 refers), all remaining Supplementary Planning guidance notes (other than those listed above) have been withdrawn by the council and will now no longer form part of the council’s consideration of decisions on planning applications. The withdrawn supplementary planning guidance notes are listed below:
The reasons for these decisions are set out in Appendix 2 of the report Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee - 17 June 2025 (item 6 refers).
Following the withdrawal of the above documents, Wirral Council will cease to make any physical or digital copies of the documents available on its website and will remove them from its offices and public libraries. A notice to the effect will be placed in the local press and in all public libraries, and is available to view below: