Wirral Labour councillor Brian Kenny has written to Tory and Lib Dem councillors in Birkenhead and Wallasey urging them to back his campaign demanding developers Peel invests in building the new homes it promised.

His campaign comes as Wirral Council starts its consultation to find adequate land to "meet house-building targets demanded by Government."

Councillor Kenny ramps up the pressure on Peel and demands to know where Tory and Lib Dem councillors stand on the issue...

ALL my Labour colleagues across the two constituencies have backed the call for Peel to build the homes it has promised.

But we have heard nothing from the Wallasey Tories or Birkenhead Lib Dems - where do they stand?

Are they with Labour and the people of Wirral in calling for these homes to be built, or are they backing multi-millionaire owned Peel as it continues to landbank at Wirral Waters?

In 2010, the-then Prime Minister David Cameron and former Tory Wirral Council leader Cllr Jeff Green granted Peel "valuable housing and enterprise status" on their promise to build 13,500 homes.

Despite that promise, to date, Peel has built zero homes and has made no significant investment in Wirral Waters.

Instead they expect the council and our public sector partners to invest and de-risk their developments so Peel can then scoop up the profits from its Isle of Man headquarters.

We need land owners such as Peel to build on the brownfield sites which have been granted planning permission if we are to meet the Government’s house building numbers.

Nearly 18 months ago, I wrote to Peel warning their in-action was failing to deliver the homes Birkenhead and Wallasey residents needed and was putting pressure on our Green Belt, urging them to get on with delivering the homes they had promised.

It is not acceptable for landowners like Peel to sit back doing nothing expecting the public purse to de-risk their developments.

They have done nothing since my letter and are effectively "landbanking" while our precious green spaces are put under pressure.

Alison McGovern MP in her recent letter to Peel Holdings was spot on: Peel need to build now or get off 'our' land.

She said: “If Peel will not build the homes Birkenhead and Wallasey residents need, they should return the land so someone else can".

My letter sets out the reasons why Peel needs to get a move on and build on the brownfield land it has planning permission for.

Residents are asking why there has been such a delay which is why I’ve reached out to Tory and Lib Dem members - they have a choice to make... 

Are they on the side of the developer or their residents?