TV presenter Chris Packham has backed Wirral Council’s controversial policy of leaving Hoylake beach to nature.
In a Facebook post the wildlife TV presenter and conservationist said the beach has transformed from a desert to an oasis since 2019.
In the summer of 2019, Wirral Council decided to stop all management of the beach after it was strongly criticised for spraying it with glyphosate.
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Since then, the policy of leaving it to nature has been a source of much debate locally.
While some say the local authority should not try to work against nature, others believe the growth of grass on the beach is destroying it as an amenity for families to enjoy and interventions such as ‘raking’ are needed to remove the grass.
The policy of leaving the beach to nature will remain in place until 2023, by which time a scientific study on Hoylake beach will be finished and the public will have been consulted on what they think should happen next.
While some want the beach raked, there appears to be little desire to see glyphosate spraying return.
Posting on his Facebook page, Mr Packham said: “Hoylake's beach on Wirral is of international conservation importance. It has over 150 different species of plant found there, 19 of which are at risk of extinction and some even presumed locally extinct.
“It's quickly transformed from being a desert sprayed with herbicide every year into an oasis since Wirral Council stopped herbicide treatment in 2019 and allowed the beach to develop naturally.
“The result of which is that the grasses and other plants that have grown have created a natural barrier stopping the sand from migrating into the town.”
Mr Packham added: “Some of the locals aren't as keen to see this vegetation growing and want to ‘tidy’ it up by removing all this incredibly important habitat.”
The TV presenter finished his post by linking to a petition called ‘Save the North Wirral Foreshore SSSI’ [Site of Special Scientific Interest].
Responding to his Facebook post, one person said: “As a Hoylake resident can I say thanks very much for sharing this Chris.”
Many others also supported Mr Packham’s views, including one person who said: “I live just around the corner from here. I fully support the petition.
“There is lots of sandy beach within a short walking distance. I think a lot of the people complaining are more concerned with their house prices.”
But some had the opposite view. One person said: “I'm sorry, but it wasn't a desert. It was a beautiful beach.”
