Continuing Wirral supersurgery Greenbelt battle

Aug 19 2009 by Kevin Core, Birkenhead News

CAMPAIGNERS against a new GP supersurgery earmarked for Greenbelt land have opened up a new front in the battle.

Friends of Arrowe Park have applied to Wirral Council to recognise a footpath which passes from Thingwall Road East across the old Warrens Nursery, past former Home Guard huts and up into woodland.

It is the latest move to scupper PCT-backed plans to relocate West Wirral Group practice from what they claim are inadequate buildings to a state of the art new build more suited to modern GP care.

The campaigners say the existence of a right of way should lead councillors to think twice ahead of the crunch planning decision, likely to be in September.

Wirral’s rights of way officer, Robin Tutchings has now passed the request to recognise the footpath to the council’s legal team for consideration.

Val Curtis of the friends group said: “As the deadline approaches I have taken advice from the Open Spaces Society.

“We have to gather ‘witnesses’ who have used the path.

“One of these, Les Poole, remembers them very well and has drawn a detailed sketch which has been submitted to the council.

“The abandoned greenhouses people associate with the site are from the 1970s, but even back to the 40s there has been a right of way.

“It goes from the Warrens entrance across the land to the greenhouse side and up to woods.”