Who would have thought that a patch of grass extending along Hoylake’s promenade would be so divisive?
Many consider it to be an eyesore, and argue that it detracts from both the practical and aesthetic elements of the seafront.
Previously, the beach had been sprayed with a herbicide known as glyphosate to manage the growth of grass and other wild plants, although this was frowned upon by conservationists.
The beach is home to a plethora of rare species and habitats and is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), meaning Wirral Council can only maintain the beach by using techniques approved by Natural England which is their advisor for the conservation of nature.
In 2022, Wirral Council created a survey to better understand people’s opinions of the current state of the beach’s grass and how it should be dealt with in the future.
3,199 people responded to the survey. 2,046 of these people were from the Wirral and 1,130 of these people lived outside of the Wirral.
This survey established a significant divide in opinions surrounding the grass, with 34.1% of the public wanting the beach to be better maintained and the sand to be more visible.
However, 41.8% of people wanted to see a balance between the sand and the vegetation.
It's clear that compromise needs to be reached in order to please the majority of people.
What has the council done so far?
Wirral council has been developing a beach management plan which consisted of an initial scientific report, which found there to be multiple species of rare plants and wildlife amongst Hoylake Beach’s grasses.
The report also confirmed that the wildlife has expanded significantly since the council had stopped both spraying and raking the seafront.
The council stand firmly by the fact that any attempt to use chemicals to destroy the wildlife on Hoylake beach would be a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as it would be an intentional act to damage a naturally occurring element of an SSSI.
