"Environmental Degradation by Wirral Borough Council"

Wirral Ecology Network is taking a case against the continued degradation of the
natural environment, by Wirral Borough Council, because it continues to fell hundreds of mature trees, threaten green spaces and our coastline.

Wirral Council has declared a state of Climate Emergency yet still they continue to destroy our eco-systems. If you have signed petitions or you simply want to protect our green spaces and save our natural environment please consider donating anything you can afford towards this case.

We are taking action because Wirral Council has poisoned our local beaches and wrecked precious and legally protected habitats including the Nature Reserve, Hilbre Island, a recognised Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention and a Special Protection Area (SPA) under European Habitat Regulations for their bird interest. (Source; Wirral Biodiversity Action Plan 2003).

Burning foam-filled cave on Hilbre Island: 23 Aug 2019

The island was subjected to ‘remedial works’ and, based on disproportionate Health and Safety measures, the cave was filled with around 180 cubic metres of toxic foam which is lethal to wildlife. Much of the foam washed into the sea. The remainder was subject to burning causing poisonous, acrid smoke to envelope the island blowing across the Seal Bank, towards North Wales. 

Trees piled outside council sub-contractors yard Sandycroft, Deeside.

Local environmental groups advised Wirral Council to stop this commercial felling but this advice has been ignored. Hundreds of people have signed petitions to save our trees and habitats, now we need to fight the council to prevent more damage. Our aim is to have an agreed strategy to protect and value, our remaining trees and habitats.

Wirral Council has recently re-classified many of Wirral’s urban green and open spaces from “greenfield” to “brownfield” sites and we are now concerned that these areas could be threatened with development. The current blanket felling and removal of trees, from such sites, could be an indicator of the dishonest and unnecessary intention to develop these valuable green-spaces.

There has been a concerted petitioning campaign of over 34,000 signatures calling
to preserve Wirral’s Green Belt, one of only 14 Greenbelts countrywide, and protect it from development.

A former school site, harbouring mature woodland and wildlife species and subject to a Tree Preservation Order, has recently passed planning on 13th February 2020, to fell a minimum of 30 mature trees out of around 100, to enable houses, flats, play area, and footpaths to be constructed. As yet, no independent bat survey has been carried out, as was advised.

The former Rock Ferry High School site has mature dense woodland which is threatened. Over 300 people petitioned to save this woodland.

The felling of trees and redevelopment of this site will cause irreparable
damage to the local ecology including bats, foxes, woodpeckers, sparrow-hawks, hedgehogs and more.

In West Kirby, valuable trees, vegetation and topsoil have been removed with the unlicensed excavation of Wirral’s iconic red sandstone. Nearby habitat was destroyed felling trees, which manifested probable bat roosts, with no bat surveys being carried out. At Grange Cemetery campaigners are working hard to save 33 poplars threatened with felling.

Wirral’s last remaining ancient woods and wetlands, which line the Dibbin Valley are also being threatened with insensitive development.

Our depleted wildlife continues to suffer due to habitat loss and lack of food resources. In parts of Wirral our air is one of the most highly polluted in Britain. (Professor D P Gregg, (retired), Wirral Globe, February 05, 2020.)

Before felling of the trees at Gautby Park, Bidston and St. James’s ward, Birkenhead, summer 2019

During the felling of the trees at Gautby Park, Bidston and St. James’s ward, Birkenhead, January 2020

After the felling of Gautby Park trees, Bidston and St James’s ward, Birkenhead, January 2020

Wirral Council, lacking a tree strategy, has damaged and felled over 4,500 trees in recent years. Our mature, and veteran heritage trees, have been harvested
by council sub-contractors and subsequently burnt in biomass plants, outside Wirral, over many years.

Wirral’s water systems lack bio-diversity due to chemical and air pollution, yet Wirral Council was recently using glyphosate on our streets and our beaches despite voting to phase it out in July 2019, knowing it poses a risk to public health and wildlife.

Wirral is a Peninsula that needs more green spaces and more bio-diversity, not less.

The National Environment and Rural Communities Act of 2006 states that Councils have a statutory duty to protect bio-diversity. The European Habitats Directive makes
environmental protection a legal obligation. According to the Aarhus Convention, the council must honour a truthful reflection of the risks of tree and habitat loss and the realistic effect of climate change from habitat destruction and environmental degradation.

The Council has continued, despite their declaration of a Climate Emergency, to
demonstrate ‘wilful blindness’ by this continuation of tree felling and habitat destruction.

We want Wirral Borough Council to come up with a framework that is Nature
inclusive. Our aim is to preserve what we have left, restore and reverse the ecological damage and have a healthy environment for us to thrive and co-exist with Nature.

Only by taking legal action can we stop the commercial logging, building on our valuable green spaces and unlawful destruction of our eco-systems.

Please donate to this invaluable cause. Thank you.