Protect our Conservation Area

Save Rectory Road Field and Stables from development

The Diocese of Chester have agreed a sale in principle with a development company called Liberty Properties (a Chester based company), of this historic glebe land in West Kirby. They propose to build a 64-bed care home.

Glebe land is owned by the Church of England and originally provided the local priest with a means to live. Reforms in the 20th century took the management of these lands away from the local parish. The glebe land in West Kirby is managed, and now put up for sale by the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.

There is great concern in the community about the sale. This includes the Parochial Church Council of St. Bridget’s and other local groups, such as the Wirral Society, as well as hundreds of individuals, many of whom would be devastated to lose the character of the area to this unnecessary development. Another care home, sited at the opposite end of Carpenters Lane from the proposed development, is under construction.

The development site lies within the West Kirby Old Village Conservation Area designated in 1973. The field and stables are central to maintaining the semi-rural character of the area, and are confirmed in Wirral Borough Council’s UDP policy CH16, which can be found on their website.

Furthermore, from a safety standpoint, access to the site is restricted by a narrow road and additional traffic serving such a large operation will add to the existing congestion and pose a danger to all pedestrians. Children attending St. Bridget’s Primary School, the pre-school at St. Bridget’s Church Centre, and pupils going to Calday Grange Grammar School, Avalon School and Hilbre High School use the paths daily, as do local residents, and park, Church and St. Bridget's Centre users.

Once it’s gone, we can’t get it back.

Please write individually to the following people to save this area;

The Venerable Mike Gilbertson, Archdeacon of Chester
Church House, 5500 Daresbury Park, Daresbury, WA4 4GE
michael.gilbertson@chester.anglican.org

George Colville, Diocesan Secretary at the same address
George.colville@chester.anglican.org

James Butterworth, Director of Comms for Chester Diocese
James.butterworth@chester.anglican.org

Rt. Revd Keith Sinclair, the Bishop of Birkenhead, is Acting Bishop of Chester, please express your concerns to him:
Bishops Lodge, 67 Bidston Road, Prenton, Wirral, CH43 6TR
bpbirkenhead@chester.anglican.org

West Kirby and Thurstaston ward councillors:-

Councillor Geoffrey Watt         geoffreywatt@wirral.gov.uk
Councillor Jenny Johnson       jennyjohnson2@wirral.gov.uk
Councillor Jeff Green               jeffgreen@wirral.gov.uk

Member of Parliament:-
Margaret Greenwood             Margaret.greenwood.mp@parliament.uk

Save this area for future generations!