A DECISION on plans to turn council-owned land in Moreton into stables for use by a community pony club has been deferred until a site visit has taken place.

Councillors were set to approve recommendations for the site at Kerr's Field in Pasture Road, Moreton during a meeting of Wirral's planning committee last night.

The report outlined development of stable blocks for up to ten horses.

If approved the land would become the new home of Upton Park Pony Association, which is currently based at Fernbank Farm.

After considering the planning report, members voted unanimously in favour of Conservative spokesman David Elderton's suggestion that a site visit should take place first.

The ten-acre Fernbank plot had been leased from the council by the association for more than 40 years.

But it was repossessed by the local authority - which wanted it back to raise capital - under a County Court ruling last year.

The decision caused a public outcry with claims of underhand dealing by the town hall.

Following last night's meeting, Cllr Elderton told the Globe: "I felt, as there was so much controversy surrounding this development, that a site visit was necessary before a final decision was made. It was the best thing to do."

After the repossession had been approved last year, former Leasowe councillor Ian Lewis said the pony group was "deliberately kept in the dark" by senior managers.

He attended the hearing at Birkenhead county court in February 2014 when evidence was given from a council officer who said he had been instructed by his superiors not to respond to letters and emails from the association.

Mr Lewis, who lost his seat in last year's elections, told the Globe at the time: “By not being open and honest, the council achieved their objective of the tenant losing their rights to such a hearing and instead enabled the start of repossession proceedings.”

An investigation by the Information Commissioner later found the council had acted legally in its repossession of the land.

The club was given a year's grace while a new a new home was being found.

As part of a consultation process for Kerr's field 37 letters were sent to nearby homes and notices were displayed at the site.

A petition of 184 signatures has been received against the move.

Main objections are the smell from horse manure, inconvenience caused by construction and worries about extra traffic on Pasture Road.

Planning officers had recommended the scheme for approval.

An independent investigation found Wirral Council acted legally in its repossession of Fernbank Farm.

But it partially upholds a complaint that the authority did not advise the club of its decision to sell the land in a timely fashion "which led to an unfortunate sequence of events."

The inquiry, by data watchdog the Information Commissioner, also agreed the authority should have told the club to seek professional advice as soon as the decision to sell had been reached.