Campaign hots up for butterfly park

Dec 23 2009 by Liam Murphy, Heswall News

A CAMPAIGN to save a Wirral butterfly park from closure has been boosted by almost 2,000 people signing a petition.

New Ferry Butterfly Park campaigners said they are delighted at the support they have received over the last week since details of the threats were revealed.

This week New Ferry councillor Steve Niblock presented a petition of 735 signatures to Wirral Borough Council – as the first tranche, with more to come, and an e-petition has topped 1,200 names.

Cllr Steve Niblock said they had also received numerous letters of support as well as people signing the petition from as far afield as Sweden.

He said: “This has been a tremendous response in such a short time.

“The petition is still being signed and is available locally as well as the online version, and I would urge as many people as possible who have not signed it to do so.”

The butterfly park has been run entirely through donations, grants and volunteer time since it was set up in 1993.

The land near Bebington station is leased by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT) from Brock plc who have told them to vacate the site.

It is currently used for education, from infant schoolchildren up to post-graduate professionals, as well as for quiet recreation and the enjoyment of wildlife.

The site has 18 species of butterfly breeding plus another eight recorded as visitors, along with 60-plus species of moth and 36 species of spider, three of them rare.

According to the CWT their offers to purchase the land have been turned down.

Brock plc were contacted for a comment but did not respond.

Supporters of the park have been asked to write to their local councillors Bob Moon, Alan Taylor and Steve Niblock at Wallasey Town Hall, Brighton Street, Wallasey. CH44 8ED asking Wirral Council to use all measures in its power to save the Butterfly Park, or to sign the petition which can be found at the constituency office of Ben Chapman MP or online at www.ipetitions.com/petition/savethebutterflypark/