***Christmas 2020***
Covid restrictions mean our annual ‘Carols around the Tree’ with Port Sunlight Lyceum Band cannot take place this year. Instead, St Peter’s Church in partnership with Heswall Society and Wirral Chamber Music Festival are planning two 45 minute Christmas Celebrations inside St Peter’s Church on Wednesday 9 December between 6.30pm – 7.30pm and 8.00pm - 9.00pm respectively in accordance with the Church’s covid secure protocols and socially distanced seating.
Each Celebration will be hosted by Revd. Martin Cannam (Rector) and the Society’s Chairman , Dr Steve Anderson and will include a programme of music and carols performed by musicians from The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and a young singer from Birkenhead School. As numbers will be limited, attendance will be by ticket only obtainable via the Parish website https://www.heswallparish.co.uk/122/Featured-Events where further details can be found. Planning Reports
In order to keep members up to date with the work of the Society’s Planning Group in monitoring planning applications and taking action when necessary, monthly Planning Reports prepared for the Society's Committee by the Society’s Planning Officer are now published within the Member’s Area together with the latest monthly list of planning applications identified by the Planning Group or brought to their attention.
Friends of Whitfield Common
Friends of Whitfield Common is a newly formed friends group whose aim is to make Whitfield Common an interesting place for people of all ages. Their ambitions include renewing the tennis courts, making a Five a Side football pitch, possibly extending the cycle area as well as cleaning up and use of the existing building, provided they can secure Council support. They are full of ideas for future projects with local community, schools, scouts etc but they need support and will welcome anyone with energy, ideas and some time. In due course they will also need a chairman and board of trustees.
Cllr Andrew Hodson is co-ordinating names of those who would like to join in so please email andrewhodson@wirral.gov.uk if you would like to help in any way. Unfortunately, it was necessary to postpone a Litter Pick/Tidy Up event that was scheduled for Saturday 7 November in view of the Council's decision, in line with Government guidance, to suspend all volunteer activities in parks for the time being. Wirral Council Grant
The Heswall Society/Heswall in Bloom team are very grateful to Wirral Council for setting aside funds for ward use and to our three local councillors for providing a grant to Heswall in Bloom from the Heswall Ward allocation.
This money is being used to fund both the summer and winter planting for this year for all the beds and planters being looked after by the team. Some of the team are pictured near the Gayton roundabout around just one of the many planting areas that they look after for the benefit of all. "This support has been particularly important to us as we did not feel it appropriate because of the Covid-19 situation, to ask our local shopkeepers for any contribution this year", says Chairman Steve Anderson. Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA)
LJLA have just finished a public consultation on airspace transition. The consultation is a result of the airport changing from ground to GPRS satellite navigation for take-off and landing.
An investigation of the proposal by the Society indicated no real changes involving Heswall, at least in the short term, as the document contained no proposal to increase the amount of air traffic. It is believed that what these changes would result in, however, is that the approach to runway 09 (which is over Heswall) would result in further narrowing of the flight path. For this reason, and since all of the options involve this same approach when runway 9 is being used, the Society submitted an objection to the proposal. Arguments used were exactly the same as used in the Society’s earlier comments to the LJLA master Plan in 2017, namely - LJLA should maximise aircraft approach/landing along the Mersey. If flying over Wirral is necessary then the width of corridors should be as wide as possible to minimise disruption for any households. Flights should be better spread out during the day and there should be no flights during the night. **CORONAVIRUS**
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Cherry Cottage, Wall Rake
The Heswall Society has long been concerned about the old sandstone wall in front of Cherry Cottage in Wall Rake. The planning permission to rebuild this property permitted part of the wall to be temporarily removed to aid construction, but it was required to be fully restored when construction was completed.
Planning applications were then submitted to seek approval to move the entrance to the front of the property from its original position on the side road , meaning that the continuous sandstone wall at the front would now be permanently breached. The Society strongly objected to this as it would have a negative impact on this part of the Lower Heswall Conservation area in which continuous sandstone walls are such an important heritage feature. For 18 months the council failed to respond to these applications whilst construction continued, which is surprising as agreement on the access was a condition of the original approval before work could start on the site. Under increasing pressure from the Society to make a decision, the council has now decided that removal of the wall does no harm to the Conservation Area and approved the new access. We would like to know your views. Join Us!The Heswall Society is the local amenity society for Heswall and Gayton, formed just over 60 years ago by some far-sighted residents. For more information, Click here.
below Heswall
New members who share our aim to retain the quality of Heswall and Gayton, without opposing sensitive change, are very welcome. If you would like to join The Heswall Society please click on the red button below. Heswall WalksThe second of four walks in and around Heswall, originally published by Heswall Society in March 1989, is now reproduced on this website along with the first (see below). The series of four walks was initiated by a committee lead by Hugh Roper, Poppy Agnew, a local artist, and Ken Burnley, a well-known Wirral local historian and author. With the involvement of other committee members, publication of the walks happened over the course of ten years, and it's our intention to reproduce all of them via our website in due course.
The second walk starts from the Glegg Arms. It passes through the historic core of Gayton to the meadows alongside the River Dee, returning, via the Lower Village, over the last remnant of the 'black heathland' (The Beacons) to the starting point. Heswall Society Walk 1 Heswall Society Walk 2 Local Plan
The council recently put out the following evidence based documents for public consultation:
As promised, the Heswall Society prepared responses to three of these inputs. Click on the following to access the responses made by the Society, namely ECC5.6, ECC15 and H6. The six week period of consultation ended on 24 July 2020. Heswall Dales
Wirral Borough Council have recently published a Heswall Dales Management Plan 2020-2022. This plan is intended to provide a framework for the development and improvement of Heswall Dales.
James Stuart Marsden FRICS
Members of the Society will be saddened to hear of the recent death of a past Heswall Society Chairman, Stuart Marsden (pictured centre) on 13 May 2020 aged 89.
As you will see from the Society’s Obituary for Stuart, he served on the Committee for a remarkable 32 years and was Chairman from 2000 to 2009. Stuart was a hugely influential Chairman and his achievements were many. Stuart was a true gentleman and will be greatly missed by those who had the privilege to know him. Our thoughts and condolences are with Stuart’s family and friends at this sad time. Conservation Areas
Eight Conservation Area signs have been erected on lamp posts at the main entrances to Heswall Lower Village Conservation Area, and one sign at the entrance to Gayton Conservation Area
NewslettersClick Here to see the Society's Autumn 2020 Newsletter which has now been published and distributed to Members. Non members are encouraged to read it in order see and appreciate just how much time and effort the Society invests in protecting Heswall's built environment and public spaces for the benefit of its community, and we hope you will consider joining us!
Previous editions can be accessed within the Members Area. Lower Village Action Group
The Society was recently approached by shopkeepers, businesses and local residents of the Lower Village, for help in forming a group similar to the Heswall & District Business Association, but exclusively focused on reinvigorating the Lower Village by whatever means.
The newly formed Lower Village Action Group committee held its inaugural meeting in early January when ideas/thoughts flowed and from these, a number of possible initiatives are being pursued. It’s a case of ‘watch this space’ for developments. Lower Village Telephone Kiosk
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