Welcome to “Sunday Snippets” a weekly feature from birkenhead.news. It is a round-up of important local news stories from the last seven days. Click or tap on each story to read the full article.
99th Anniversary of Birkenhead men Mallory and Irvine’s ill-fated Everest ascent
8 June marked the 99th anniversary of the conclusion of the ill-fated attempt by two Birkenhead men to be the first climbers to successfully reach the peak of Mount Everest.
During their endeavour to be the first to conquer Mount Everest, George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine disappeared somewhere along the daunting northeast ridge of the mountain, ultimately meeting their tragic deaths.
The duo was last seen a mere few hundred meters away from the summit, leaving uncertainty as to whether they had reached their coveted goal before their untimely fate. While Mallory’s remains were discovered in 1999, Irvine’s body and his portable camera have yet to be located.
Hundreds turn out against Leverhulme plans
Wirral Council struggled to find room as people turned out in their hundreds to oppose plans to build on green belt land.
Ahead of a public session held on Thursday evening, nearly 500 people turned up at a public hearing over plans by Leverhulme Estates to build on Wirral’s greenbelt. The hearing was held in Wallasey Town Hall’s Civic Hall due to huge numbers in attendance, with a spill-out room and balcony seating made available last minute.
As a 17-day inquiry continues, the Planning Inspectorate, a government agency that deals with planning appeals, is considering evidence from Wirral Council, Leverhulme Estates, members of the public and councillors.
Partners celebrate ‘topping out’ of catalytic £130m residential development at Wirral Waters
Miller’s Quay, Peel L&P’s cornerstone residential scheme at Wirral Waters, has reached a special milestone in its construction of 500 highly sustainable one- and two-bedroom waterfront apartments.
Wirral Waters’ developer, Peel L&P, was joined on Thursday 8 June by its funding partner, Pension Insurance Corporation plc (PIC), construction firm GRAHAM, Homes England, Wirral Council, and staff and students from Wirral Met College, to celebrate the ‘topping-out’ of what is the single biggest development to date at the UK’s largest and most sustainable regeneration project.
The topping-out ceremony marks reaching the highest point in the construction of the transformational residential development.
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Wirral Met College Principal shortlisted for Lifetime Achievement Award
After 33 years leading learning in further education, Sue Higginson has been shortlisted for The Pearson National Teaching Awards Lifetime Achievement Award 2023.
Sue’s nomination was supported by staff, students, former students, governors, employers and community members who all contributed to the shortlisting process and shared their stories of the difference Sue has made to them, their colleagues and their organisations
The Pearson National Teaching Awards were set up to celebrate the impact of invaluable education within the UK. Run by the Teaching Awards Trust and supported by Pearson and the BBC, they are the UK’s most prestigious celebration of transformational teaching.
Former ferry to become floating restaurant
A historic former River Mersey ferry has been given the go-ahead to be converted into a floating restaurant and bar space.
For more than six decades, the MV Royal Daffodil took thousands of passengers across the river connecting Liverpool and the Wirral. Now, more than a decade since she was decommissioned and fell into disrepair, plans for a redesign of the historic vessel have been signed off.
Having originally been submitted in 2019, fresh proposals were put forward to reimagine the ferry – once known as MV Overchurch – into a restaurant, bar and event space. The Daffodil would be anchored at a mooring point located within Canning Dock, leased from Canal and River Trust.
Wirral’s Open Door charity secures £4m Funding for transformative Joy Project
Award-winning Wirral charity Open Door, along with partners from the NHS and third sector, have secured nearly £4m in Town Deal funding to transform the Treasury Annexe building in Birkenhead to a new hub that will use art and culture to support people with mental health issues.
Joy Project will open in spring 2025 and will also include an art gallery, outdoor play area, a performance space and café.
Lee Pennington, Founder of Open Door, said, “Art and culture can give people a sense of community which can alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation.”
The Observatory School achieves ‘ADHD Friendly School Award’
The Observatory School in Bidston has been awarded the prestigious ADHD Friendly School award by the ADHD Foundation for their work with young people with ADHD this academic year.
The Observatory is committed to supporting all children within their school, whatever their particular needs, and is a school that places inclusion at the centre of its ethos and culture.
The school has considered all of the main barriers to learning for children with ADHD and has sought to address them in their everyday practice. This ranges from increasing physical activity across the curriculum to the teaching of self-calming strategies to help students to self-regulate.
Wirral barge plan for refugees dropped by government
The government has abandoned its plans to house 1,000 asylum seekers on a barge on the River Mersey after facing opposition from protesters, local MPs, and authorities in Wirral.
On 6 June, protesters from Heart4Refugees, Asylum Link Merseyside, and Asylum Matters gathered outside the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool while a meeting was being held by Peel Ports. Protesters said they wanted to put pressure on the company to oppose the plans altogether.
The protesters slammed the now dropped plans to house asylum seekers on a barge as “terrible” stating the government should be “protecting not punishing people who are seeking safety.”
Year sees Wirral plant another 21,000 trees
Residents, volunteers, partners, and schools have helped the council to exceed its planting target for the third consecutive year running.
The council has an ambitious target, set out in the Tree, Woodland and Hedgerow Strategy 
to plant 21,000 trees every year until 2030 to help increase tree coverage across the borough.
Between November 2022 and the start of 2023, Wirral held its first tree giveaways. 2,163 trees were given out to residents and a further 8,123 trees were provided to garden waste customers who wanted them. Trees were provided for residents to plant in their gardens or another area that they have permission to plant in (such as a community space).
Wirral autism charity receives gift of buildings in historic village
Wirral-based Autism Together is receiving the gift of three buildings from Riverside Housing, in order to support the charity’s work in historic Bromborough Pool Village.
The Grade II-listed Enterprise Centre, Giles Shirley Hall and the former St Matthew’s Church building, all on York Street, will be given to the charity.
These properties had previously been leased to Autism Together but they will now take full ownership, at no cost to the organisation.
Wirral Police weekly news round-up
This is the birkenhead.news weekly round-up of police activity in and around Wirral during the previous seven days.
What’s On? Guide
Visit our “What’s On?” guide for Wirral and the surrounding areas in the coming weeks.
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