Its difficult to show in photographs how the Spartina is growing at such an alarming rate.
Earlier this week, our team at Hoylake Beach Community placed 16 tennis balls next to small shoots growing on the beach near to the Hoylake lifeboat station, our only remaining part of sandy beach for people to enjoy.
You can see how quickly these new mounds are growing and will soon clump together. This will greatly reduce the amount of feeding ground for the Wader birds.
The original SSSI (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) is for the protection of the Waders. Growing a salt marsh on Hoylake beach won't protect them, they'll be forced to leave because there won’t be any feeding ground left.
Hoylake beach will end up being inaccessible, no more walking out to the tide line because people will not physically be able to get through it as it grows wider and higher.
We are at a major crossroads now, attention needs to be brought to the reality of the spread of spartina.
The council need to ask for permission to remove the shoots NOW. This is only a quick survey. Goodness knows the numbers that would be recorded by a paid established, experienced trustworthy ecologist.
The petition is well over 12,000. The population of Hoylake & Meols is c. 13,000 - Councillor Grey and other councillors who have the power to help restore a section of the beach need to start listening NOW to what the local people want.
HOW YOU CAN HELP...
1. Please sign our petition Click Here You do not need to donate money to sign.
2. If you like what you've read, please help our cause by sharing on social media - links below.
3. If you wish to donate please Click Here
Thank you!