Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust

[Geoffrey Settle]

I don't think many people in Warrington know about the Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust or even care but it's a Trust that has been set up to monitor the Upper Mersey Estuary between Widnes and Warrington.

 

 

I have set up a Facebook site https://www.facebook.com/james.balme?fref=ts&ref=br_tf#!/pages/Mersey-Gateway-Environmental-Trust/1544427759143678 yesterday to keep people informed about this 30 year project.

 

We held our first Stakeholder Meeting at the Catalyst Museum on the 29th January and it was well attended and there was a good deal of interest.

 

 

 

Our primary aims is to make sure that any impact by the construction is mitigated and that the Upper Mersey Estuary's environment is protected and biodiversity increased. We have already undertaken a number of successful projects and learnt a lot from during their management. We belive that this is the first time that a major engineering project i.e. the new bridge company has worked along side an environmental trust and we hope that we can develop model for others to follow.

 

  

I recommend that you go down to Spike Island at Widnes or Wigg Island at Runcorn and see what's taking place.

 

For more information about the trust please visit http://www.merseygateway.co.uk/mersey-gateway-environmental-trust/

[wolfie]

Does this include the hundreds of trees that have been dug up and not replaced and the hundreds that were dug up by mistake?

[Geoffrey Settle]

We are aware of the tree issues.

[Coffee]

We are aware of the tree issues.

 

 

So what is the problem with the trees, trees are good are they not?

[Bazj]

Geoff.... how many millions/billions of pounds do these cooky environmentalists add to the building costs in this country and how much additional time gets added projects while they worry about a colony of bats or some newts being in the way?

[grey_man]

I think the bats and newts were here a long time before some shitty 'executive homes' and a chain pub, so I'm with them. 

[P J]

I tead with interest the opening post and was momentarily uplifted by its positive and well meaning information, then I remembered that this is the www forum and the topic was doomed.

[Geoffrey Settle]

Don't lose heart PJ

[wolfie]

We are aware of the tree issues.

The world and his dog are aware of the tree issues, the question is what's going to be done about it?

[P J]

Well if the trees have been removed I imagine it's a bit late for anything but replanting

[Coffee]

The world and his dog are aware of the tree issues, the question is what's going to be done about it?

 

 

Well if the trees have been removed I imagine it's a bit late for anything but replanting

 

 

Well obviously I am not

[Geoffrey Settle]

 

[Geoffrey Settle]

Well there are several avenues being pursued to the tree issues. Planting appropriate species, is my desired solution.

 

This was done successfully in Victoria Park where the flood defence work meant that the tree line along Knutsford road had to be removed. This took place as part of the Environmental Agencies phase one.

 

The Mersey Forest attended our Stakeholder meeting and has expressed an interest in becoming a partner.

 

The MGET’s area of interest is within the Mersey Forest and although the Upper Mersey Estuary is largely a salt marsh I know as a steering group member that I can draw on their expertise and advice with regard to the tree issues.

[grey_man]

Best of luck with it Geoff. We need to preserve more of these spaces. 

[Geoffrey Settle]

Thanks and if you can think of any projects, ideas conservation tasks that you think would be good especially for the Warrington stretch of the Upper Mersey Estuary just let me know via here or gsettle@warrington.gov.uk and I will take them to the MGET Board.

[Geoffrey Settle]

Here is the response from the Mersey Gateway Project i.e. the organisation constructing the bridge to the local residents in response to their concerns about the tree loss.

 

 

We understand that local residents care passionately about their area and in recent months there have been regular discussions and meetings with local residents in relation to the essential tree clearance activity as part of the Mersey Gateway Project. Tree clearance is part of the advanced works for the new Mersey Gateway bridge project.  As well as a new 1.2km bridge, Merseylink has over 9km of upgrading work to complete on the overall road network from the Ditton roundabout in Widnes through to the M56 at Junction 12 in Runcorn.

 

In the long term, the Mersey Gateway Project will deliver an extensive landscaping scheme, which includes new trees and vegetation to be planted along the route of the project, which means that more trees will be planted than have had to be removed.

[wolfie]

If contractors polluted a river they would be fined, so what happened to the contractors that dug up the wrong trees?

[Dizzy]

I hope it doesn't take them as long to do the tree planting and landscaping as it's taking Peel Holdings to do the same over near Walton Locks.  Lovely plans as part of the planning application for house building when it was approved but the finer details of the lock landcaping and environmental enhancements have never materialisised years down the line.

I noticed on your top map Geoff that the Walton Locks area seems to be outlined in red too on there.  Does that mean it now forms part of the Mersey Gateway Environmental works instead or are they all part and parcel of the same thing anyway ?

[Geoffrey Settle]

Hi Dizzy, the area in red is the MGET's area of interest.

 

Our aim is to influence land owners within that area along with partners, interested parties and the public to improve the biodiversity of the place.

 

We do not have any powers as such to make any of them do stuff apart from say lobbying and taking action if any laws are broken.

 

Instead we hope that they will buy into the vision and commit to positive environmental change that will not only benefit the area but also their organisation.

 

And yes there will be issues - our primary focus is the impact of the new bridge but maybe it could include such things as the one you mention.

 

If things have been promised as part of a development planning application then the planning department should be contacted to ask what has happened? What have local residents groups and local councillors done - have these avenues been exhausted?

[Dizzy]

Thanks Geoff and I get what yours is all about now.  As for the Walton Locks bit well I've no idea if all the new reseidents round there have ever asked about it and I don't think there are any residents groups anywhere around here anyway.  I was only wondering as we walked down that bit of the trans pennine trail past there over xmas and got to thinking about all the promises etc and how long it was all taking.   It doesn't really affect me though as I don't really like walking over there on my own as it's a bit creepy.

I guess these things take time though and saying that 24 years ago when we were buying our first house the solicitor told us that land searches showed there were plans to turn Walton Locks into a boating marina.  Seemed a bit odd at the time but could have been nice   

[boris1066]

It's good news that action is taken ahead of the game .

 

 It's a pity that further up the  estuary at Sankey Valley Park, Gullivers World theme park are destroying acres of woodland. See active threads on "Save Sankey Valley " Facebook page.

[P J]

With Boris here, Gulliver is a crap neighbour