WORK is underway to restore a claypit at a Wirral rugby club.

The “major” habitat restoration project is taking place at Prenton Dell Claypit, as part of the conservation project that began earlier this year.

Prenton RUFC and National Grid joined forces in a 10-year partnership in a bid to not only restore the natural beauty of Prenton Claypit, but also provide better access and an educational nature trail for the wider community.

Work has been undertaken to start restoring the unique habitat that it once possessed with the first target being the wildlife pond.

During its breeding months the pond is home to many amphibians including the Great Crested Newt which is one of the most protected species in the UK and Europe due to its decline with the expansion of urbanization and the intensification of agriculture. 

The Prenton Dell Claypit project represents is aiming to reinforce the capacity of one pond for breeding of newts.

Over the years, the pond had become shaded, clogged with silt and prone to drying out before the newts could complete their lifecycle.

Over the last few weeks, scrub has been cleared around the area to allow in sunlight and to stop the abundance of willows sucking up the water from the pond. This is being undertaken by members of Prenton Rugby Club alongside groups from The Countryside Volunteers and Community Payback.

The work took place at the end of September when amphibians were not breeding and was supervised by Tom Doherty-Bone from the Wirral Amphibian and Reptile Group (WiARG).

Tom is a qualified, licensed ecologist who made sure that no amphibians inadvertently came to harm. The build-up of silt was removed from the pond returning it to its original dimensions, making it, once again an ideal habitat for newts and other amphibians.

By opening the surrounding area, it should also attract more dragonflies and pollinators. The works were timed to minimise disturbance and allow recovery by the spring 2025 breeding season.

Prenton Dell Claypit project leader, Mike Coffin said: “Without the advice from experts such as Tom from WiARG and Hilary from Wirral Wildlife, we wouldn’t have been brave enough to make such massive changes. I realise that it looks a bit messy at the moment but by next summer, it will be teeming with life. Just brilliant.”

This week, the site was visited by local councillor, Naomi Graham who has been supporting the project. Naomi said: “It is lovely to see the progress being made at Prenton Dell Claypit, a site of biological importance in Prenton.

“Huge thanks got to everyone who are working to protect and improve the biodiversity of this important and much-loved area.”