Notice of question to be given in writing or by email by 12 noon, Wednesday 9 June 2021 to the Council’s Monitoring Officer (committeeservices@wirral.gov.uk) and to be dealt with in accordance with Standing Order 10.

There were two questions from the public.

Question from Charlotte Smith:

Access to Hoylake Beach via the slipways is severely restricted by the build-up of grass, weeds, dandelions and watercress. This is particularly noticeable at King Gap entrance to Hoylake Beach and the old lifeboat slipway with excess sand blocking safe access to the beach. Wirral Council is in breach of the Equality Act 2010 (Section 149, schedule 12) by not providing safe access to the beach for disabled people, myself included. Will the Environmental Chair commit to legal obligations by clearing all slipways to allow safe access immediately within the next month?

Answer from Councillor Liz Grey:

Thank you for your observations regarding Kings Gap Slipway and the slipway at Alderley Road.  For information the slipways do not form part of the adopted highway and therefore do not have the same maintenance standards as exist for the highway. The slipways act as an interface between the natural and man-made environment and users are made aware of the hazards present through the adjacent signage. This is the standard approach taken at all locations on the Wirral coast. The slipways are all inspected regularly, the most recent inspection on 2^nd June 2021 identified that whilst sand and some vegetation growth at Kings Gap Slipway was observed, the conditions on the slipway were similar to those that would be encountered on the foreshore.

I do agree with you that disabled access should be a priority and we as a Council voted to aim for Blue Flag status on our beaches. This will require us to ensure that we have good quality disabled access and I’m sure this will inform our plans when we reach that stage of the engagement and consultation process.

Officers have assessed your allegation and in their view they do not believe that the Council has breached the Equality Act 2010.  The build up of sand will continue to be reviewed during future inspections however we are currently unable to remove or move any sand on the foreshore as we no longer have permission from Natural England to do this. A new application for assent, with supporting Habitat Regulations Assessment, is being prepared for submission to Natural England. We need to do this as Hoylake beach forms part of North Wirral Foreshore Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Basically we need permission to move sand.

Supplementary Question

Will the chair agree to designate a section of Hoylake Beach made available for local events to be exempted from SSI restrictions to continue on the beach such as the Tug of War, Bonfire Night and the Volley Ball team and organisers can make the area safe for recreational use.  Natural England has stated after all that an Amenity Beach can be raked.

Supplementary answer

I’m glad you refer to the Natural England report and their references to an amenity beach and I would urge all interested parties to read that Natural England report especially the references to an amenity beach which you do seem to have interpreted differently from most other people.

Natural England is the Government’s statutory nature conservation adviser and is responsible for enforcing laws that protect wildlife and the natural environment which includes North Wirral Foreshore Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) covering Hoylake Beach. As such Wirral Council has no powers to exempt areas of the SSSI from the regulations that cover it. Permission must be sought from Wirral Council for any activities which have the capacity to harm the SSSI and before the Council grants permission they must in turn obtain consent from Natural England having assessed any request in accordance with the Conservation of Habitats and Species regulations 2010.

The second question was from asked by the Chair on behalf of Gillian Homeri who could not attend.

Question from Gillian Homeri:

Could you please confirm that when deciding the future if Hoylake Beach, this Council will stick to the science and the evidence and not be swayed by negative campaigning and bombardment from those who wish to ignore the facts and mislead the public? Can you promise to abide by the advice of Natural England and do what's right by the people of Wirral in an environment and climate emergency and protect both nature and residents from the threats they face.

Answer from Councillor Liz Grey:

Hoylake beach is changing naturally and it is becoming increasingly difficult for it to be effectively managed in a way that would gain assent from Natural England. The Council, as landowner, also has a statutory duty to further the conservation and enhancement of the SSSI. Through the work we are doing and with the findings of the independent Ecology and Geomorphology study later in the year – combined with public consultation – we will find the most effective solution, taking into account advice already received from Natural England and the regulations in place to protect the SSSI, to manage Hoylake beach in the long-term.