News ans Issues

Good News: Brownfield Only LocalPlan

The long expected letter from the inspectors has been received by the Council today.

Wirral Council has been told by the Planning Inspectors it can move ahead to formally adopt what is believed to be the country’s first Brownfield-Only Local Plan.

It seems the government inspectors have accepted the required changes to the Local Plan (Main Modifications) and Wirral Council can now go forward and adopt the plan.

The Local Plan is a vital document which sets out how the borough should be developed over the next 18 years – what Wirral will look like for the next generation and beyond.

The fight to save our Wirral Green Belt may have been successful.
The Heswall Society and Wirral Green Space Alliance have been fighting for this for years and it now seems we may have success in protecting our precious Green Belt.

A note of caution to this good news, however. We need to review the news and report back once we have digested the report.
In addition, the implications, if any, for Wirral Council having received the letter after the NPPF deadline (albeit by only one day) also needs also to be understood.

Looks like very good news, but we need more information before we can be absolutely sure.

Update on Local Plan

Defibrillator Installed in Lower Heswall Village

We are pleased to announce that the Defibrillator presented by the Heswall Society and maintained by St Peters Church has been installed in the Porch of St Peters Church and is accessible 24/7.

In announcing this at the Society's Open Meeting in January 2025 Steve Anderson said "While we hope it is not required it's good to know that if it's needed it could save lives".

Award for Harry Beswick Pub

The Harry Beswick Pub is awarded The Heswall Society Outstanding Building Award.
This prestigious award was presented to Hydes Brewery at The Harry Beswick pub on Monday 18th November at 11am. The award recognises the Brewery’s commitment to preserving and revitalising a historic building that has been an integral part of Heswall for generations.

The Harry Beswick, the former site of Heswall Police Station, is named after its local architect known for his Edwardian designs of public buildings. The award celebrates outstanding achievements in sensitive architectural design and preservation of heritage sites in the Heswall area.

Located in the heart of Heswall, The Harry Beswick, was constructed incorporating the local stone that was once common in the construction of such buildings on the Wirral. Originally built in 1911, the building has long been a much-loved local landmark. Through meticulous renovation efforts, Hydes Brewery has succeeded in not only preserving the building’s architectural integrity but also enhancing its appeal and functionality for modern-day patrons.

“The Harry Beswick pub is a shining example of how heritage sites can evolve to meet contemporary needs while respecting their original features” said Dr Steve Anderson, Chair of the Heswall Society. The project included restoring the stone plaque above the main entrance, the Ruabon brick façade and sandstone together with the mullion windows and gables.

The award serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding historic structures and encouraging their transformation into vibrant spaces that continue to serve the community. By valuing and preserving history, projects like this inspire future generations to engage with and cherish the architectural heritage around them.

Roy Wilson, general manager of The Harry Beswick, added: “We’re delighted to have been presented with this award. We have worked hard to establish a strong relationship with the local community since we opened last November and this continues to go from strength to strength. Becoming an integral part of the local community is of great importance to Hydes.

“The Harry Beswick was Hydes’ first property acquisition since 2018 and its first new establishment to open in five years. The response from customers and the local community has been tremendous and we look forward to building on the success of our first year in Heswall.”

Update on Risk to Wirral Green Belt

Message from Steve Anderson Chair of Heswall
2nd October 2024.

The Government’s consultation on the proposed revision of the National Planning and Policy Framework completed on September 24th 2024.

My thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation. Apparently, the Government has been inundated with responses and it will take some time for the analysis to be completed.

The Society’s detailed final response is here.
It is encouraging that responses in addition to those from other Wirral Green Space Alliance (WGSA) member organisations, those from the Community Planning Alliance the Council and other Local Authorities are all in alignment against the current proposals, particularly on changes to the Standard Method for calculating housing need.
The Council has submitted an excellent response to the consultation and their cover letter which is here. Their cover letter very nicely summarises their issues with these proposals. Not surprisingly Developers are all for the proposed revision.

I will be writing shortly to our own MP, Matthew Patrick, to express the Society’s concerns with respect to this proposed revision and encourage him to liaise with the other three Wirral MPs to do all the can to get Angela Raynor to seriously reconsider her proposals in light of this huge negative response.
In addition, following the recent WGSA Steering Group Meeting, the Alliance will be writing to all four Wirral MPs asking for a meeting where it will be emphasised how the proposed revision would have such serious consequences for Wirral’s Green Belt and discuss how this might be overcome.

Dawstone Park is Under Threat

The future of Dawstone Park is under treat. The Friends of Dawstone Park was set up in April 2015 to ensure the flowers beds in the Park were maintained as the Council was no longer prepared to do this. Over the past 9 years the committee has been largely unchanged. New volunteers are now needed to continue the work.

To find out how you can help and what’s involved please contact Paul Leidecker on 0151 342 8570 or via email [email protected]

Solar Panels in Conservation Areas

Wirral Council has recently updated its policy on Solar Panels in Conservation Areas - including, of course, Gayton and Lower Heswall Village. See Details

Heswall Walks

The 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.

There is also a "Treasure Hunt" suitable for primary school children accompanied by an adult.

Free Down Loads

Public Footpaths and Bridleways

The Government’s deadline to register historic paths by 2026 (that members were alerted to) was repealed by DEFRA in March 2022 following the Welsh government’s lead. Public rights of way that did not appear on the Council's definitive map by 1 January 2026 had been at risk of being lost forever.
Nonetheless, everyone is encouraged to look at the definitive map and bring attention to any known footpaths and public rights of way that are not shown. Once recorded as rights of way, and added to the definitive map, paths are protected under law for people to use.
For more information on this, including a link to the definitive map, and how you can help,
Click here.

The Outdoor Gym

The Outdoor Gym Due to the recent council elections and the Council officers busy dealing with the Local Plan examination and Leverhulme Estates inquiry, there has been no further progress at the time of writing. The design has been agreed with the Council officers (a surfaced pad containing four items of fitness equipment) as has the position on the Puddydale. The next steps are to finalise costs and raise the required 4 amount of money. Our Councillors remain confident that the gym will be in place by the end of the year

Funding Agreed For Puddy Dale Outside Gym

Plans to Demolish Glegg Arms Receive Strong Opposition

The Premier Inn (Parent Company Whitbread PLC) who own the Glegg Arms have submitted a proposal to Wirral Borough Council which if approved will result in the total loss of this historic building and the heritage significance it holds. The scale of this harm would be large and negatively impact the approach to Heswall from Chester.

The front elevation of the Glegg Arms has changed very little over the last century. It is a good example of a coaching inn- certainly 18th century and quite possibly earlier. It has been a prominent and much loved land mark and feature for generations. While it has been closed to the public since July 2024 it operates as the hotel restaurant.

The Glegg Arms has been described as an “Iconic Building” by Councillor Kathy Hodson. Premier Inn themselves recognise these proposals would result in “the loss of a heritage asset” to the community but suggest that “the heritage harm in the overall planning should be weighted as low”. The Heswall Society, and local councillors, strongly disagree and will campaign against this proposal.

Whitbread announced the closure to the public of 115 pubs in July 2024 with plans to convert many into hotel rooms. This has been described as a ‘massacre’ by CAMRA’s Paul Ainsworth who argues that it’s time for a clear definition of a pub in planning law – as well as a rewording of use classes. CAMRA has complained to many local planning authorities that this action represents unauthorised changes to hotel use and that, as minimum, Whitbread should have to apply for change of use planning permission. Some authorities have agreed.

We question whether the destruction of a heritage asset and its replacement with further hotel rooms will provide benefits to the local community and economy. As such we will be campaigning against these proposals.

Letter to Whitbread
Petition to Save Facade

Glegg Arms Campaign Update

Heswall in Bloom Grant Application

The Heswall in Bloom team are planning to create two large mixed shrub and flower beds in front of the fire station (see picture above).
This planting will provide nectar and pollen across the full Feb - Nov pollinator season and provide an enriched habitat to support wildlife.
The Team has applied for a £2000 grant from the Liverpool City Region. To be successful we need to raise pledges from the public for a minimum of £500 through the spacehive crowdfunding platform.
Should you wish to support this project you can like and / or pledge a donation using the project funding page that can be accessed via the following link: Heswall Firestation Pollinator Garden.
Donations need to be in by September 16. If the grant isn’t awarded, then the pledged money will not be taken.

Appeal at Apple Tree Cottage Dismissed

Good news: the appeal on the first application for flats at Apple Tree Cottage has been robustly dismissed, on grounds which should be equally applicable to the second (current ) application still being assessed by the LPA. Decision below.

The proposal would fail to preserve, and much less enhance, the character or appearance of the conservation area and would therefore fail to satisfy the weighty statutory requirement of The Act. It would also be contrary to Policy CH2 of the Wirral Unitary Development Plan (UDP) which seeks to preserve the distinctive characteristics of the area, the general design and layout of the area, and the character and setting of period buildings which make a positive contribution to the conservation area. It would also be contrary to Policy HS4 which amongst other things requires development to be of a scale which relates well to surrounding property with particular regard to its form.

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.

Heswall in Bloom. Planting in the Rain!

Undeterred by heavy rain the Heswall in Bloom volunteers do their bit to keep our Wirral home special. To find out more about Heswall in Bloom see their Facebook Page

Castle Buildings Flower Beds

The Heswall Society/Heswall in Bloom are hugely grateful to The Mill Shop, Claire House, Hallmark and Cain of Heswall who have each agreed to 'Adopt a Bed' outside their shops in Castle Buildings. The beds are planted and maintained throughout the year by volunteer members of the Society, lead by Angie Mounsey.

One of the major difficulties we face is keeping the beds adequately watered, particularly during dry spells, without a readily available tap! Because of this, it has been necessary for volunteers to bring large quantities of water with them by car which can be extremely onerous. Now, by adopting the various flower beds, these four businesses have very kindly agreed to share the job of watering between them, for which the Society is immensely grateful and has donated some bright red watering cans! Hopefully all those who enjoy the flower beds will also show these businesses how much their work is valued.

Book Share Kiosk

For the full story on how our Telephone Box was rescued and repurposed click here