A big yellow gate in one part of Wirral has caused a stir as people claim it is disrupting businesses and blocking access to boats.
Wirral Council has installed, and locked, a big yellow metal gate on Banks Road in Heswall. The gate, which has been put in place to stop people taking vehicles down onto Heswall foreshore, has had some unwelcome side effects for locals.
The section of the west Wirral coastline has become known as something of a ‘boat graveyard’, with countless abandoned vessels in varying states of dilapidation sat eerily on the foreshore. In recent months, the council has made efforts to clear up the site, with a £200,000 project that has so far seen over 50 vessels removed.
In a bid to prevent further vessels being left on the site, a set of electric gates has been installed. Only those with fobs can open the gates.
Simon and Gemma Robins are in the process of renovating a vessel which is now behind the gate. The couple bought a WWII ship called Sarinda, which is sat on Heswall Foreshore. They are working on restoring the ship, which was used in the D-Day landings, so it is fit to sail once again.
The couple told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the gates have not only blocked the road, but also their work on the ship. They explained they are no longer able to park near their ship when delivering supplies for the refurbishment. They say they instead have to park on the other side of the gate and then figure out a way to get the equipment to the boat, over 300 yards away.
The couple say they fully support efforts to clear up the beach but are not pleased with how the gate is affecting their work. They document their refurbishment on a YouTube channel called Ship Happens.
The now blocked Banks Road is one of the two ways of reaching the Heswall Boat Yard. The other is a narrow private road called The Moorings. Steve Aston, the manager of the Heswall Boat Yard, told the LDRS that The Moorings is too narrow to tow a vessel through and he is now unable to use Banks Road without someone from the council opening the gate. He explained this is adding unnecessary hassle to the operation.
While the council claim that the gate will stop boats being left on the foreshore, Steve, Simon, and Gemma all said that almost all the boats that have been left on the site arrived by sea. Simon said, “Breaking news, boats float.” They therefore argued the gate will not achieve their main purpose.
Image: Heswall councillor Andrew Hodson. Credit: Ed Barnes | LDRS
The presence of the gate has been defended by Heswall ward councillor, Andrew Hodson. Cllr Hodson insists that unlicensed boats were being left by cars and trucks. He added that boaters can still access the foreshore via the boat yard despite it being a private road.
Cllr Hodson explained that a lot of effort has gone into tidying up the foreshore and said the gate will help maintain it. He added, “We’re not going to let it go back to how it was.”
Concerns have also been raised regarding the gate’s position on the King Charles III Coastal Path. The path, which opened earlier this year, covers over 2,500 miles of English coastline. Simon and Gemma Robins suggested the gates may prevent people with disabilities from accessing the path.
Addressing the concerns raised, a Wirral Council spokesperson said, “Heswall foreshore is part of a nationally and internationally designated protected area due to its environmental importance.
“It is part of the Dee Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Specially Protected Area (SPA) for wildlife and a RAMSAR site, which means vital ecosystems like marshes, lakes and rivers that support rich biodiversity and waterbirds need to be protected.
“As such, Wirral Council has a legal responsibility as the landowner to manage activities that have the potential to damage the habitat of the area. None of the boats on Heswall foreshore have permission to be there.
“In response to long-standing concerns about the impact that the number of abandoned boats on the foreshore was having, the council is engaged in a £200,000 project to clear the protected area of unauthorised vessels and manage vehicle access to the foreshore.
“This began with an exercise to identify the owners of the boats, followed by notices being issued giving them time to arrange to relocate their property. It is now continuing with a specialist contractor commissioned to carry out the safe removal of vessels under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978. To date, more than 50 boats have been removed, with another four to follow by the end of August.
“Alongside this work, the council has introduced controlled access to the foreshore for vehicles to prevent more boats being abandoned in the future.
“In installing gates on Banks Road, advice on accessibility issues was fully considered and the gate has been positioned to allow for pedestrian right of access – including to the King Charles III Coastal Path – on both sides of the gate. The council will be further improving this side access shortly by using gravel to level the surface more.”
Lead image credit: Ship Happens
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