Strategies and Plans

New Council Plan 2023-2027

The new Council Plan which will run for the four-year electoral term from 2023 to 2027 following the local government elections earlier this year. The Council Plan is the primary document in the Council’s Policy framework. It has been developed to align with the Council’s refreshed Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).

In this regard, it supports the Council’s progress towards financial stability and continuous improvement in response to the External Assurance Review commissioned by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) in November 2021 and Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge in April 2022.

The new Council Plan builds on and replaces the existing Wirral Plan 2021-26 which was approved by Council 6 September 2021 and refreshed on 11 July 2022. It also supersedes the Council’s Improvement Plan which was approved by Council 11 July 2022. The new Plan acts as a single plan for the organisation, articulating a vision and priorities for the next four years to deliver in line with the needs of residents whilst transforming and modernising the Council to maximise opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness.

This Council Plan 2023-2027 was approved by full Council in November 2023.

Refreshed Wirral Plan 2021-2026

This Wirral Plan 2021-2026 was approved by full Council in September 2021.

As part of the annual review process, the Wirral Plan was refreshed in 2022 to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the borough and emerging issues.

Delivery Plans 

Delivery Plans were also approved in September 2021 Delivery Plans for Wirral Plan 2021-2026 

Previous Content - Wirral Plan 2025

Wirral Plan 2025 sets out a series of 20 pledges which the council and its partners will work to achieve by 2025

Previous Content - Wirral Plan 2020
See Archive Section of this site for previous Wirral Plan

New Local Plan

A new Local Plan is being prepared to shape the future of the Borough between 2020 and 2037. 

Regulation 19 Local Plan

The Council is currently preparing a Draft Local Plan for publication before submission to the Secretary of State which will be informed by the results of previous consultation on the Issues and Options document and various evidence studies.

What's the timetable?

The timetable for the Local Plan is set out in the Local Development Scheme (LDS). The Council will publish an updated LDS later this year.

View the Local Development Scheme

Visit this Council web page for more insight into the Local Plan

Wirral Economic Strategy 2021 - 2026

Overview

• Wirral is at an important point in its economic history. Places throughout the UK are being challenged to come forward with ambitious plans for economic renewal as part of the government’s Levelling Up agenda and Wirral provides a unique and unprecedented opportunity for positive change.

• The Council and its partners have embarked on a transformational regeneration programme along the ‘Left Bank’ of the River Mersey stretching from New Brighton to Bromborough, with a particular focus on the creation of a sustainable, waterfront urban garden community in Birkenhead, underpinned by the Birkenhead 2040 Framework and Local Plan.

• This presents us with a unique opportunity to use our significant regeneration programme and emerging government backed initiatives to build on our growing sector strengths, support accessible opportunities for our residents, and lever new investment to the area.

• This new Economic Strategy for Wirral 2021 - 2026 provides the opportunity to make sure Wirral is fully aligned with this new policy backdrop and to provide a fresh articulation of Wirral’s economic and social objectives.

• This strategy is intended to provide a high level framework for Wirral over a five year period. It will guide our local decisions on projects and programmes and inform our detailed yearly action plans, all underpinned by regular performance review and evaluation of progress.

Additional Documents

Wirral Economic Strategy - Consultation Summary Report

Wirral Proposed Framework for Economic Strategy (9.76 MB)

Wirral Health & Wellbeing Strategy 2022-27

The Wirral Health & Wellbeing Strategy 2022-27 has been developed by Wirral Health and Wellbeing Board, which is a collective of local  organisations including the Council, NHS, Healthwatch, the Community, Voluntary and Faith Sector, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, Merseyside Police, the Department for Work and Pensions and Wirral Metropolitan College.

Every area is required to have a Health and Wellbeing Board. Their job is to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population, as a partnership committee, producing a joint assessment of health needs and a joint health and wellbeing strategy.

The strategy focuses on our mutual priorities, resources and assets that will make the biggest difference to improving health in Wirral. It sets out the shared ambition, solutions and approaches, using the best of the borough’s combined strengths and capabilities.

It is built upon what Wirral residents have said about being healthy and what evidence suggests works to help. The Strategy complements the work of individual organisations and contributes to the delivery of the Wirral Plan 2021-2026. It also a key part of the vision for the Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care System, which has a duty to work closely with the Health and Wellbeing Board. More broadly it supports the local delivery of All Together Fairer, Cheshire and Merseyside’s collaborative approach to reducing differences in health outcomes.

The strategy has five priorities, these are:

• Priority 1: Create opportunities to get the best health outcomes from the economy and regeneration programmes

• Priority 2: Strengthen health and care action to address differences in health outcomes

• Priority 3: Ensure the best start in life for all children and young people

• Priority 4: Create safe and healthy places for people to live that protect health and promote a good standard of living

• Priority 5: Create a culture of health and wellbeing, listening to residents and working together

Wirral Community Wealth Building Strategy 2020 - 2025

A prosperous, inclusive economy where local people can get good jobs and achieve their aspirations is a key priority of the Wirral Council Plan 2020. It is one of the ways in which to secure the best future for our residents. Community wealth building is a key part of how we will achieve this and makes a major contribution to the economic, social and health outcomes of the borough.

There is aspiration to have an economy that benefits all of our residents and one which keeps money within Wirral.

This Strategy outlines our vision for doing this and why it is an important part of realising our shared ambitions for the borough.

Wirral Early Years Strategy 2022-2026

Wirral Council and their partners will focus on making Wirral great for children, young people and their families, driven by the voice of the child, young person and their families.

This strategy has been co-produced and is intended to be a guidance document for parents/carers, key stakeholders and all early years professionals working across health, family support, PVI settings, childminders, children’s centres, nursery and primary schools on Wirral.

In particular, professionals can use this document to reflect upon the effectiveness of service provision in supporting school readiness and to consider any development required.

Key objectives

• An early intervention and preventative approach that is inclusive in  supporting children, young people and families to build resilience and take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.

• Children get the best start in life, so they are able to learn and develop resilience, capability, confidence and self-assurance through positive relationships.

• Raise awareness of the importance of early childhood development in building community capacity to promote health and wellbeing using local assets.

Key Tasks

Breaking the Cycle

• Challenge barriers by having a one system coordinated approach across services throughout the earliest years and school.

Continuous Improvement

• Co-produce with families and communities effective universal and targeted services throughout localities with aspirations for improved outcomes.

• Provide challenge, training and support for parents and professionals in early years.

Creating a Culture of Inclusion

• Empower parents and carers of children with SEND to

  challenge the workforce to be a champion of their child’s voice.

• Ensure all provision is ready for the child and at each transition point each child’s needs are identified

Creating a Culture of Inclusion our people to make it happen

• Invest in the early years practitioners of tomorrow

• Better collaboration between the statutory services and the voluntary/charity sector.

Priorities

Wirral aspires for all children on Wirral to develop these key skills in their earliest years that will secure foundations for their journey through school and into adulthood;

• Resilience

• Communication & Language

• Positive sense of Self

• Manage emotions

• Collaborate

• Independence

Linking our priorities to the aspects within the Early Years Foundation Stage; Unique Child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments and Learning and Development it will give a consistent approach and understanding of the requirements of us all in supporting children to be ‘Ready to Learn, Ready for School and Ready for Life’.

Wirral Health Protection Strategy (2023 - 2027)

The Wirral Health Protection Strategy sets out our collective approach to ensuring we have a resilient health protection system in Wirral. The strategy outlines what we aim to achieve and where we will focus our efforts for the next four years.

No single agency can address these issues in isolation, protecting the health of the people of Wirral from infectious diseases and environmental hazards requires collaborative action.

Therefore, the strategy has been developed following wide consultation and outlines how local partners will work effectively together to achieve our collectively agreed vision, aims and objectives.

For more information on how the strategy is being delivered please go to Health Protection web page

All Age Disability Strategy 2024 – 2029 - ‘Full and Active Lives’ (Full document)

All Age Disability Strategy 2024 – 2029 - ‘Full and Active Lives’ (EasyRead version)

Wirral’s All Age Disability Strategy 2024-2029 has been coproduced with people across Wirral, including people with disabilities, their parents and carers, practitioners, commissioners, volunteers, and other people who work in health and social care.

The vision is that people of all ages with disabilities can maximise their potential and live a full and active life.

Our mission is to work together to realise aspirations, improve access to opportunities and reduce barriers for people of all ages with disabilities in Wirral over the next 5 years.

The 5 core values of the strategy are:

1. Person-centred
2. Working Together
3. Advocacy
4. Integrity
5. Quality

Our priorities over the next 5 years for people with disabilities are:

• Improving Health and Wellbeing
• Living Enriched Lives
• Having Independent Lives
• Gaining Employment and Economic Wellbeing