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Work is starting to widen parts of the Wirral Way between West Kirby and Heswall.
It will see improvements to the following sections:
• Sandy Lane Bridge to York Avenue Footpath (West Kirby)
• Simons Bridge to Dawpool Nature Reserve access (Caldy/Thurstaston)
• Delavor Road Bridge to Davenport Road (Lower Heswall)
The parts of the popular walking and cycling route chosen are among the narrowest, and Wirral Council says the scheme is designed to give users more room.
The work is expected to be completed by spring.
Bridge Road in West Kirby will be shut until the end of April as work gets under way replacing a weak bridge.
The first phase of the project took place last year, when engineers installed a temporary structure to re-route essential services such as electricity, gas and water.
The latest closure – due to begin today – will also mean a large portion of the Concourse car park will be out of bounds.
The route was made one-way and a weight limit imposed back in February 2016 after concerns were raised during a routine inspection by Network Rail.
West Kirby Today revealed in 2018 that work on a replacement would not be carried out until the 2021-22 financial year.
The following bus routes are affected:
Route 22 will travel as normal from Chester to Orrysdale Road, then continue via Orrysdale Road to terminate at the turning circle (omitting Bridge Road and Grange Road). This service will return as normal from the turning circle on Orrysdale Road, near Bridge Road.
Routes 80 and 81 will travel as normal to Orrysdale Road, then terminate at the turning circle (omitting Bridge Road and Grange Road). This service will return from the turning circle on Orrysdale Road, near Bridge Road, via Orrysdale Road, Grange Road, then as normal (omitting a section of Grange Road).
Route 437 will travel as normal from Liverpool as normal to Orrysdale Road, then continue via Orrysdale Road to terminate at the turning circle (omitting Bridge Road and Grange Road). This service will return as normal from the turning circle on Orrysdale Road, near Bridge Road.
It has not yet been announced when train services will be affected by the work.
In 2018, the council’s then Cabinet member for highways, Cllr Stuart Whittingham, said the local authority would look at reinstating two-way traffic “at the earliest opportunity” following completion of the work.
More than £2,000 has been raised for @hoylakelifeboat and @westkirbylifeboat after volunteers took to the beach in Hoylake and the water in West Kirby on Boxing Day.
Hundreds of intrepid swimmers made their way to West Kirby Marine Lake to take part in a dip organised by the Underground Training Station (UTS). The Hoylake-based gym has arranged the chilly morning challenge for several years, and it has become increasingly popular.
West Kirby RNLI launched their D class lifeboat Seahorse to oversee and support the daring dippers taking to the water. The event raised £704.56 on the day, with many more donations from participants made to the RNLI online.
Later that morning, volunteers from Hoylake RNLI lifeboat crew took on a team from Hoylake Sailing Club in the annual Slater Trophy Tug O’War, which made a welcome return after its cancellation last year due to Covid.
The Hoylake RNLI team were victorious against the sailing club, winning in two straight pulls, and were presented with the competition’s coveted Slater Trophy – a small teapot that bears the name of the winning side stretching back for nearly 50 years.
Hundreds of spectators attended the event to cheer on both teams and donate to the RNLI, with funds raised on the day totalling £1,580.24.
Further donations were made online by supporters watching from around the UK and overseas on the event’s live stream.
A very Merry Christmas to all of our readers - we hope you have had a lovely day! 🎄🎁
Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year.
So, from tomorrow, we are told the darkness will subside and everything begins to get brighter!
In the meantime, you can entertain yourself with a glass of something warming and read our latest newsletter.
PS: It's our final issue before Christmas so we want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy holiday and thank you for all your support for local journalism in 2021. Click on the link in our bio to read.
Plans have been submitted to build apartments above retail units in Hoylake.
It would see an additional floor added to the block at 90A Market Street, to create eight flats over two storeys.
Six of the apartments would be one bedroom, with the remainder having two.
The ground floor would remain as retail units – the former William Hill bookmakers is currently being converted into a sensory play centre and cafe, whilst Babylicious will remain open but is looking for bigger premises in the longer term.
Wirral Council’s highways department has requested that all flats are provided with secure space for bikes, rather than the 80 per cent proposed.
In a letter to planners, they write: “The lack of any in-curtilage parking is accepted by Traffic and Transportation due to the accessible location and majority of the apartments being one-bedroom, which are less likely to attract families who may rely more on private vehicles as their primary mode of travel.
“It is considered more likely that resident[s] will make use of public transport linked with walking and cycling for short trips and also use of taxis, therefore the demand for parking associated with the development is considered likely to be low.”
A total of 43 objections have been submitted to Wirral Council, with another nine supporting the proposal.
