Wirral Green party has thrown its support behind an exciting proposal for the future of the Hoylake Carrs. The proposal, originally developed by community group Hoylake Village Life, foresees the development of a wetland and wildfowl centre on the Carrs (also known as the Langfields).The Carrs often flood, with the result that the land has limited value for either agriculture or housing. Without a long-term solution, increasingly severe flooding caused by climate change is likely to render much of north Wirral uninsurable in the not-too-distant future. The areas worst affected are likely to be those downstream along the River Birket and its tributaries in Leasowe, Moreton and Bidston.
Chair of Wirral Green Party, Jane Turner said “Not only would the wetland centre entail the construction of simple flood management measures, but it would also be a significant local amenity and visitor attraction.”
Supporters of the proposal have pointed to the success of Martin Mere wetland centre in West Lancashire which attracts over 200,000 visitors each year and brings in over £5 million to the local economy.
“Greens hold the balance of power on Wirral Council with our nine councillors,” says Turner. “We are hopeful that with support from other parties, this excellent proposal will be brought to fruition. We will wish to influence some of the details of the proposal but overall we think it is an excellent solution to the flooding problem whilst contributing greatly to life on the Wirral.”
Notes to editors:The Hoylake Carrs, also known as the Langfields, are an area of fields that are largely below the astronomical high tide mark on the upper Birkett floodplain. They were previously boggy Willow and Alder Carr which was drained in the 19th Century with a network of drainage ditches. Unfortunately, the rapid draining of water from the fields now increases the risk of flooding further downstream in Leasowe, Moreton Bidston and Birkenhead Docks, especially at high tide when the dock gates are shut. Rising sea levels and increasing climate instability means that catastrophic flooding will become a more regular event and that living in the Birkett floodplain will eventually become unviable.
The idea to create a Wildfowl and Wetlands and Education Centre on Hoylake Carrs was first proposed by Hoylake Village Life in 2011 as a way to mitigate the environmental impact of the now abandoned Jack Nicklaus Luxury Golf Resort. The proposal attracted support from both the Environment Agency, RSPB, WWT and local people. While the creation of a wildlife reserve would be great for biodiversity and the local economy, for example, Martin Mere in Lancashire attracts 200,000 visitors a year and brings in more than £5million per annum, the Wirral Green Party believes that to limit any proposal to that is missing a major opportunity to protect Wirral residents directly from the effects of climate change and make significant inroads into Wirral Council’s carbon-neutral by 2030 target.
The Wirral Green Party intends to engage with participants in the project and seek ways to maximise the environmental and social benefits to the region.