New beach management plan for Hoylake

Wirral Council is moving forward with developing a new beach management plan for Hoylake.

Members of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport committee are meeting tonight to debate a report updating them on the progress that has been made on this issue to date.

Specifically, they will discuss the recommendation to commission an expert-led, independent scientific study of the beach to help give everyone a clear understanding of the ecology of the beach; how it has changed in the past and how it is likely to change in future with rising sea levels as a result of climate change. 

They will also talk about the strategy that officers have put in place to communicate and engage with residents, elected members and other stakeholders as part of developing the overall plan.

Hoylake Beach is home to a range of rare or nationally important species and habitats and is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it is protected under law from anything that puts those elements at risk. Hoylake is special for its intertidal sands, embryonic saltmarsh and mudflats, and as a feeding and roosting site for waders and wildfowl. 

Hoylake is also designated as a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area and Ramsar site, meaning it has international importance for its intertidal habitats, which support internationally important populations of birds.

While the beach is public open space and managed by the local authority, Natural England is responsible for regulating certain activities taking place there to maintain its SSSI status.

Any maintenance works necessary on Hoylake Beach are carried out manually by council staff or council-appointed contractors with assent from Natural England. Weed spraying, using glyphosate-based products, no longer takes place at any of Wirral’s beaches or parks.

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