Construction has begun on a 1.2 metre tall flood wall in a Wirral town that will save lives despite worries it will "ruin" the town's promenade.
Sections of the West Kirby promenade were fenced off yesterday as workers from VolkerStevin, Wirral Council's specialist engineering partner, began construction on the new flood wall. The work is currently being done in phases, and this initial phase will see the stretches of promenade from Riversdale Road to Dee Lane, and then Hillbre Court down to the southern end of the promenade closed off.
A footpath diversion will be in place for the duration of the works. The road that runs beside the promenade, South Parade, will not be closed at this time and people who live in the town will be informed and supported if and when that should happen.
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The flood wall is expected to save more than 20 lives and save over 70 properties from flooding, though it has been a point of controversy for some who think the build will ruin the appearance of the town. Anthony Clark, a local, said when the plans were first made, that the council “must accept” that the plan would “ruin” the promenade and called for an alternative solution.
At the time, last November, a petition against the flood wall gained more than 1,100 signatures, while there were also 251 comments registered on the council’s website with 223 against the plan and just 23 in favour. However the plans still went ahead as a majority of the committee passing the proposal thought it was essential to protect life and property.
In February, it was revealed that the cost of the flood wall had increased from the initial £5.5m amount given by the council, which they would only partially fund with help from a government body, to almost £10m.
In February a spokesperson for the local authority said: “The reasons for the additional costs of the scheme are largely down to significant increases in the costs of materials and the need for the work to be completed before winter 2022 in order to minimise the impact on wildlife.
“Meeting this challenging timescale means the project is more labour and resource intensive.”
“The design of the scheme has also had to be amended to address ‘very poor’ ground conditions identified along the promenade, which requires the use of more steel and concrete than originally estimated.
“The bulk of this additional funding is being provided through external sources and there is no requirement for further capital investment from the local authority.”
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