A WIRRAL MP is urging the council to 'listen to public opinion' and drop plans for a golf resort in Hoylake.

In December, plans for the development - which would see an 18-hole championship course as well as a luxury hotel and housing estate built on the town's municipal golf course - moved a step closer to becoming a reality after the town hall gave developers the go-ahead to carry out planning and investigations on site.

Wirral Council said land earmarked for the scheme is in the Green Belt and would have to pass the "very special circumstances" test if a future planning application is to be approved.

Wirral West MP Margaret Greenwood - who hosted a packed meeting in December to discuss concerns on the proposal - told the Globe she has received "hundreds of letters and emails from constituents who do not want the golf resort to go ahead".

Supporting the campaign against proposed development, Ms Greenwood MP said: "In the eight months following the public meeting in Hoylake, I have continued to meet with campaigners and am currently receiving correspondence at my office on almost a daily basis from constituents who are opposed to the planned golf resort development in Hoylake.

"I have now heard from more than 500 constituents who feel this way and this is a clear message that public opinion is saying 'no' to these plans.

"Recent announcements about the potential threat to Wirral's green belt following the announcement of government housing targets for Wirral have reignited the debate and I believe it is vitally important to protect the green belt for the quality of life it brings.

"Furthermore, having written to the council on a number of occasions about various aspects of the proposals, I remain concerned that there is still a lack of detailed information on the proposed resort, particularly around the residential aspect which would see 160 homes built – some on an 'island feature' and some ‘close to Saughall Massie Road.

"I am very concerned about the effect the golf resort could have on flood risk.

"The resort is proposed for an area that is liable to flood in wet weather.

"This would have implications for people living in any new homes, as well as for people living in surrounding areas.

"I have consulted with wildlife groups and share their concerns about the potential impact that the resort could have on wildlife in the area.

"I do not believe that the planned Golf Resort development is right for Wirral West.

"I call on Wirral Council to drop its plans."

The Stop Hoylake Golf Resort (SHGR) action group launched an online petition that has received more than 5,000 signatures and over 5,000 paper signatures. The group said it has a further 6,000 names in total as well as hundreds of letters sent to local MPs.

A spokesman told the Globe last week: "The Hoylake Golf Resort will set a very dangerous precedent for building on Green Belt, a precedent which is now even more dangerous, since the council has revealed its proposals to release huge swathes of Green Belt land for development.

"These proposals will fundamentally change the nature of our beautiful peninsula."

A council spokesman said recently: "We have said time and again that this application will not be brought forward until all necessary studies and surveys have been completed.

"This scheme would be a flagship development which has the opportunity to create hundreds of jobs for local people and support businesses across the borough, as well as earning vital income for key local services."

The representative added: "It is crucial Wirral Council looks at how we can generate new income streams, making long term investments which will provide revenue into the future.

"A major new world class tourist attraction such as the proposed golf resort is one such measure which could help address year on year reductions in Government funding and continue to provide vital public services such as social care.

"The land earmarked for the proposed golf resort development remains in the Green Belt and it would have to pass the 'very special circumstances' test if a future planning application is to be approved.

"The council has been clear that the development of brownfield sites across the borough will be prioritised ahead of green belt locations under the Local Plan which is currently being consulted on."