Wirral Council sticking to West Kirby flood wall plans despite outpouring of opposition

Wirral Council is sticking with plans to create a 1.2 metre flood wall along West Kirby promenade, despite campaigners arguing it will stop people coming to the town.

The plan for the wall was approved by a council committee last year. The meeting heard that over the next 100 years, approximately 26 people will be at risk of being killed if protections are not put in place, and that more than 70 properties would also be protected by a flood wall.

But local campaigners are making a last ditch bid to get the council to think again and believe the flood wall is a threat to the appearance of the town. At the Strategic Applications Sub-Committee meeting on November 2 last year, local resident Anthony Clark said the flood wall would "ruin" the promenade, and an online petition against the plan gained more than 1,100 signatures.

But the committee approved the proposal, with a majority believing the flood wall was needed to protect life and property in the area. The vote was five to two in favour of the 1.15km wide, 1.2 metre tall flood defence, with Labour, and the sole Liberal Democrat and Green councillors in favour, and two Conservatives against.

A Wirral Council spokesperson said the flood wall proposal is the "most cost effective way of protecting lives, property and the public realm in West Kirby from severe flooding over the next 100 years". They added that the council is finalising contractual details ahead of the work starting very shortly.

But campaigner Dawn Wormell, 53, from West Kirby, said: "It will be awful, we'll have a lot less people coming. Some people may want to stay in their car, park up, and maybe have some chips. The wall would take away the opportunity to park and enjoy the view, I find that quite upsetting."

Ms Wormell, who set up a WhatsApp group for West Kirby residents and businesses in 2019, claims the wall is not wanted locally. She added: "Lots of people have lived here all their lives, they've seen the flood maps and they know the risk, but they don't want the wall.

"The prom was commissioned in 1897 for mental health benefits and exercise. A concrete wall will change that completely, it will no longer be a prom.

"We're not denying the science, we just don't think this is the right design solution. If you walk along South Parade, most properties have five-and-a-half or six-feet tall protective walls. They've done that for themselves."

Ms Wormell was clear about the impact she thought the wall would have. She added: "It will never be the same, the wall will never be taken down."

Since November, the official estimate for the cost of the flood defence project has risen by more than £4m to a huge £9.7m due to various issues. They included rising raw material costs, the need to complete work before this winter in order to minimise the impact on wildlife and the fact the design had to be amended to address 'very poor' ground conditions identified along the promenade.

Yet Wirral Council will not be providing the additional money itself. The original £2.4m sum it pledged to the project, which is from its capital budget meaning it is not competing for funds with day-to-day services such as leisure centres or adult social care, is still the sum the local authority will be contributing.

Most of the money, £3.3m, will come from the government's Department For Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), according to documents prepared for a meeting of the council's most senior committee, called Policy and Resources, on February 15. The document also revealed that a further £535,000 will come from the Environment Agency.

But Mr Clark agreed with fellow campaigner Ms Wormall. He said: "A number of local groups have concerns about the design. They believe it will be harmful for the prom and will damage businesses. Residents are not opposed to flood protection, they just don't want a 1.2 metre wall.

"The council needs to engage with residents and explore other options. We want them to listen to the concerns of residents and businesses."

A Wirral Council spokesperson said: "The flood alleviation scheme in West Kirby has been years in planning and has been the subject of at least two public consultation exercises over that time. The construction of a physical barrier – a wall – along the length of the promenade is the preferred option as it is the most cost effective way of protecting lives, property and the public realm in West Kirby from severe flooding over the next 100 years.

"We are in the process of finalising contractual details ahead of the work starting very shortly."