Town Hall agrees to 'reconsider' sale of Pasture Marsh

Wirral Council is set to reconsider plans to sell part of the flood plain at Moreton for housing.

Pasture Marsh, on Leasowe Road and Pasture Road, is identified in the Council’s own Strategic Flood Risk Assessment' for its importance in alleviating flooding in nearby homes:

“This site should not be developed for residential use. Ideally, this site would remain for less vulnerable uses or be used as a multifunctional greenspace for flood storage, amenity use and to provide environmental/ecological benefits.”

In July, Councillor Vida Wilson asked, at a meeting of all councillors, that the sale be reconsidered due to the impact on the local environment.

Now, following the campaign by the Friends of Pasture Marsh and requests from a majority of the Council’s Policy & Resources Committee, it has been confirmed that the sale to Persimmon Homes will be on hold.  The Committee will be asked to vote whether to carry on with the sale or retain the land in council ownership.

Councillor Wilson said: “We should not be encouraging development of the flood plain. 200 or more houses on this site will do irreparable damage to a wildlife haven while adding to flood risk to nearby homes.

“And for what? This site isn’t even in the Council’s Local Plan for housing. It’s no use the Council voting for a ‘local nature recovery strategy’ one month, only to then vote to flog off this wildlife site the next.”

“I hope the councillors on the Policy & Resources Committee vote to retain and protect this site from development at the earliest opportunity.”

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for 23 February and campaigners hope it will be on the agenda.