Wirral’s opposition Conservative group has called an extraordinary meeting of all 66 councillors in the borough to back calls to protect the Green Belt.

The Labour administration today blasted the move as "political posturing" and accused Tories of indulging in "amateur dramatics."

The meeting has been called over concerns that currently protected locations across the peninsula are being put at risk of development.

The ministry of housing has identified Wirral as being one of 15 councils that have failed to produce a Local Plan and in November 2017 wrote to the leader of the council demanding action.

Tory councillor David Burgess-Joyce, of Greasby, Frankby & Irby ward, said: “Since that letter we have seen plenty of hot air from the town hall and attempts to shift the blame to others.

“We have called this meeting to give all 66 councillors the opportunity to make it clear that regardless of party politics, we will not allow the failure to produce a Local Plan to put our Green Belt at risk. “

Plans have been submitted by Wirral Waters to build the first 600 homes at that site and we need to send a clear message to all the other developers and property speculators that while they are welcome to invest in Wirral, it has to be in the right locations - the brownfield sites and inner urban areas that are in desperate need of regeneration.”

John Heath, of the Irby, Thurstaston & Pensby Amenity Society, said: "The root problem now is that the current council and its consultants and NOT any Government have based 'housing need' calculations on wholly unrealistic future growth figures while minimising the real opportunities that exist outside of Green Belt involving more than just brownfield sites."

Council boss Phil Davies told the Standard's sister title, the Wirral Globe: "Besides being another expensive piece of political posturing by Tory group leader Ian Lewis, this special council meeting is an opportunity for all councillors to support Labour's motion and demand the Government acts to protect Wirral's Green Belt.

"Our motion calls on council to demand the Government drops its top down housing targets which are forcing development on the Green Belt and instead give local authorities the powers to make land bankers and developers with planning permissions on urban and brownfield sites get on with the job or return the land to the local authority.

"As the Tories clearly can't decide who or what they do or don't support when it comes to Wirral's Green Belt, I have helpfully written to Liz Truss MP - the Tories No. 2 in the Treasury and Jacob Rees Mogg MP - a leading Tory contender to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister - inviting their thoughts.

"Both of these senior Tories have written in national newspapers this week explaining why they believe Tories should support building on the Green Belt."

Cllr Davies continued: "Labour has made it clear - we will continue to build the homes Wirral residents need, but we must exhaust all available brownfield and urban sites first.

"Only Labour is willing to put pressure on Peel and other big developers to get on with their job of building homes or face the consequences.

"The Tories are once again in disarray on this issue.

"They have no clear position.

"Last week they were supporting Peel here in Wirral for not building homes on Wirral Waters while their national policy appears to be build at whatever cost.

"But true to form, Cllr Lewis and his local Wirral Conservative colleagues' response to the shambles of their policies is to organise an expensive political meeting so they can perform in front of their supporters.

"Cllr Lewis is perhaps better suited to amateur dramatics than real politics which affects local people's lives.”

The extraordinary meeting will take place on Monday, September 10, at 6pm, at Wallasey Town Hall.