Newsletter sept 2011

Irby, Thurstaston and Pensby Amenity Society Established over 30 years

Volume 13, Issue 2 - September 2011

Page 1 BeachWatch Thurstaston Tidy-up

Page 2 Barn Owls Need Your Help

Page 3 Communications ITPAS Boundary Roundabout News Membership

Page 4 New Faces

Page 5 Planning

d e s fu e R Page 6

Committee Diary

Tideline Tidy-up Beach litter... at the highest level The Marine Conservation Society (www.mcsuk.org) has a national since records began series of BeachWatch cleanup events on Litter is swamping our oceans September 17th & 18th. and is washing up on beaches. It kills wildlife, looks disgusting, is a hazard to our health and costs millions to clear up.There are nearly 2,000 items of rubbish for every kilometre on a beach.

Marine wildlife gets entangled in litter and accidentally ingests it. Turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and the bags block their stomachs, often leading to death from starvation. Seabirds mistake floating plastic litter for food, and over 90% of fulmars found dead around the North Sea have plastic in their stomachs. Plastic litter on beaches has increased 135% since 1994. Plastic never biodegrades. It just breaks down into small pieces but does not disappear.

Microplastic particles are now found inside filter feeding animals and amongst sand grains on our beaches.

ITPAS is actively involved in the BeachWatch and Adopt A Beach Schemes and our own Jim McCormac is the new BeachWatch Officer. You are positively encouraged to come along to the Dee Sailing Club on either morning at 10.0 am to help clear and tidy our beach. All equipment - gloves, sacks etc - will be provided.

This is a great opportunity for really helpful day out and one which ITPAS is pleased to be organising.

Do your bit for the environment - our very own beach right on our doorstep. Every little helps and as an Adopted Beach we hope we will manage to upgrade Thurstaston Beach to the required standard.

Litter comes from many sources - the public, fishing activities, sewage pipes Contact Valerie McCormac on and shipping, but it is all preventable. 0151-604-0376 for more details

www.itpas.org

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Irby, Thurstaston and Pensby Amenity Society Established over 30 years

Barn Owls need Your Help We are all familiar with the Barn Owl, with its heart shaped-face and haunting gaze. These beautiful

birds feature on television wildlife programmes, are pictured amid snowy scenes on Christmas cards and star in Harry Potter films. But I wonder how many residents in Irby, Thurstaston and Pensby have been privileged to see these rare and elusive birds hunting and flying across the Wirral.

Barn Owls are now so rare that they are afforded the highest protection as they are listed on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Barn Owls suffered a post-war decline of 85% locally and by 1999 there was only one known breeding site left on the Wirral peninsula.

A number of factors have contributed to the plight of the Barn Owl including loss of habitat and of the barns and outbuildings, which provided valuable roosting and nesting sites. The situation has improved gradually in the past ten years with 28 breeding pairs this year but it is still precarious.

Volunteers from The Wirral Barn Owl Trust have been working tirelessly over the past 12 years to reverse that decline, and have, amongst other things, installed over 200 nest boxes on the Wirral.

Volunteers construct and install each nest box, which is then monitored, and at successful sites the young are fitted with individually numbered leg rings before they fledge. The data collected at each site enables the Barn Owl Trust to monitor the population level and the movement and survival rates of those birds, and helps to protect breeding sites and to maintain, increase and protect foraging habitat. The materials, tool and equipment, including ladders, brackets, marine plywood and protective paint used to construct and install nest boxes are a costly and ongoing expense. Wirral Barn Owl Trust is a registered charity and relies heavily on donations and the goodwill and hard work of a few dedicated volunteers to keep going – it needs your help!

www.itpas.org

Barn Owl Trust Honorary Chairman Steve Harris has explained to me that parts of Irby, Thurstaston and Pensby area are a really significant breeding site for Barn Owls - probably the most important in the whole peninsula. Barn Owls are generally regarded as an indicator species for the health of biodiversity in wild flowers and insects, making the work of the Trust even more valuable.

ITPAS has its roots in conservation of wildlife and our green, open spaces. It is what we believe in. You can help the plight of the Barn Owl and support this worthy organisation by either becoming a member of Wirral Barn Owl Trust at a cost of £8.00 per year (£12.00 for a couple at the same address) or you can help the continuing work of the Trust by making a donation. Members receive a quarterly newsletter, keeping you up to date on the status of Barn Owls on Wirral and are welcome to attend members’ meetings at Bebington Civic Centre where they have guests speakers and you have a chance to meet volunteers and learn more. You may have a couple of hours free and wish to become a volunteer.

To find out more about the Wirral Barn Owl Trust and what you can do to help, you can visit the website at

www.wirralbarnowltrust.org email wirralbarnowltrust@sky.com or contact Membership Secretary Yvonne Morgan on 0151 677 1505.

The Barn Owl Trust is in desperate need of funds and volunteers so please do what you can to enable the valuable work of the Trust to continue.

Thank you, Melanie Walker ITPAS Chairman

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Irby, Thurstaston and Pensby Amenity Society Established over 30 years

ITPAS recognises that not everyone has We have been working hard at defining a computer or internet access. However the exact boundaries of the area covered we do need to be keeping up with by ITPAS. We have recently agreed the progress and any developments will be of area described below and will publish a benefit to the membership map on the website as soon as we can. and make life easier for the The communities of Irby, Thurstaston, Committee. We would like Pensby, Thingwall and Frankby are the to be able to communicate main areas and includes Frankby with our members by email Cemetery, Montgomery Hill, Irby Mill Hill as this is much quicker and and the beach from Dee Sailing Club as cheaper for us. We need to far as Target Road. Not included are build up an address book of the email Heswall south of Kylemore Drive, addresses of our members to do this and Barnston, Landican, Arrowe Park, eventually it may be that we send you our Greasby and Caldy. newsletter via email if you wish. This would save on printing and postage costs.

Please let us know your email address if you would like the advantages outlined. We have sung the praises of the new roundabout

Roundabout News

at Thurstaston and the planting out of the roundabout and the surrounding roadsides has been excellent. The natural meadow adjacent to the Cottage Loaf has been widely admired too.

However we have been concerned at the increasing signage on the approaches to the roundabout which not only spoils this Conservation Area but must be distracting for road traffic. Admittedly promises have been kept not to put signs on the roundabout itself but we have asked for a review to be made with a view to its reduction. Advertising at the Cottage Loaf only adds to the problem.

Conversely the roundabout at the Irby Mill junction is nothing short of a disgrace. The meagre planting which was in evidence has now ITPAS has 220 member households, which represents either died or been overgrown by weeds. As an approach to Irby it just screams ‘neglect’ which is only a tiny proportion of the people in our area, and not what we’d like to see. ITPAS committee our income from subscriptions only just covers basic members offered to tend and weed expenses, such as printing and postage. We are it themselves but were told that working hard to help maintain the quality of our ‘red-tape’ meant this wasn’t possible. environment but we need the support of new members. Budgets are to be looked The Committee have decided to run a recruitment at but don’t hold your drive and we will be contacting as many non-members breath. as possible this autumn. Subscriptions are currently We won’t give up on £5 per household per year and we will be calling on this one. members who still pay subs at £3.50 to ask them to complete a new bank mandate for 2012.

As you may have noticed our website hasn’t been operational for a while now.

Our new website will be active as soon as possible at this address - www.itpas.org Keep watching as the website will be more up-to-the-minute than our newsletters.

www.itpas.org

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Irby, Thurstaston and Pensby Amenity Society Established over 30 years

New Faces For those who weren’t able to attend the AGM in June, we’re using the newsletter as a further opportunity to introduce recent changes to the ITPAS committee.

Roy Fisher, has undertaken to develop a revised ITPAS web site. More details to follow.

Roy continues with his responsibility for the Newsletter, advertising and soon electronic messaging to members.

We are delighted that the appeal for new Membership Officer committee members which was sent out with the spring and summer newsletters resulted in our numbers being brought back up almost to The committee have expressed a little concern full complement. that whilst ITPAS membership is still a healthy 220 households, it has diminished gradually Our new, vibrant and enthusiastic committee over the past 20 years. We are therefore consists of long standing ITPAS members who extremely pleased that Jim McCormac has seem prepared to tackle any issue. Although joined the committee and has undertaken to referred to under their ITPAS officer titles, the instigate refreshing initiatives to increase the structured committee meetings allow for membership. contributions from all members to give a rich mix of opinions.

Planning Officer We are:

Following Ian Chalmers’ sideways move to secretary, Paul Bell has kindly offered his Chairman services as planning officer. In just a short space of time, Paul is able to navigate the As recently reported, Tim Mobbs reluctantly planning and appeals processes and advise “retired” in May due to relocation. Melanie the committee of planning applications within Walker, previously ITPAS secretary, has the ITPAS patch. The library of resources built stepped up to become our new Chairman. up by previous planning officers is always a useful tool.

Secretary Committee Member Ian Chalmers, previously ITPAS planning officer, has taken over the role of ITPAS Unfair to describe him as simply “a committee secretary. member”, Lukman Sinclair has joined the committee with much enthusiasm having Treasurer tackled a number of long outstanding issues including a Charity Status application, We are very pleased that following our appeal investigating one of our local footpaths and for new committee members, Latimah Sinclair organising the ITPAS membership details into volunteered to take on this responsibility. an easily decipherable spreadsheet.

Latimah has already made excellent progress in understanding the ITPAS finances.

Webmaster

You may contact any Committee member (see back page) regarding any matter of concern Tim Mobbs instigated the ITPAS website and or interest which you think ITPAS may be able for several years has been its expert editor. to help with.

With his departure, our communications officer, Please use ITPAS, that’s what it’s there for.

www.itpas.org

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Irby, Thurstaston and Pensby Amenity Society

Planning Matters Established over 30 years

The ITPAS Planning Officer’s case book conditions in terms of overshadowing and

daylight, also a small number of trees would be This page is a quick update on just a few of the lost from the site. applications we have considered in the The case has not yet been decided.

Irby/Thingwall, Thurstaston and Pensby areas The ATS outlet at 419 Pensby Road has during the past few months: applied to erect three illuminated advertising The Lilacs, Pensby Road was an application to signs. We have raised an objection as the signs convert a residential property into a Chiropractice. will be clearly visible from a number of residential We objected on the grounds that it was properties. We also asked, that should inappropriate to locate a business within a row of permission be granted, a condition be included residential properties. As there was to be parking that would restrict permitted hours of illumination for ten cars we felt there were safety risks to minimise visual impact on nearby properties.

This application has recently been accepted but associated with vehicular access to the site.

The council approved the application with the one of the conditions is that the signs shall be certain conditions one of which was that the illuminated only when the premises are open to proposed development does not prejudice the the public. free flow of traffic or conditions of general safety along the neighbouring highway.

There was an application by a resident in Thingwall Grange to change the use of open land (green belt) to domestic use, the intention being to increase the size of the garden. The committee support the retention of green belt wherever possible so we raised an objection. The application was refused but Irby Mill Pub - You may recall that in the last there is currently an appeal to the Planning newsletter we reported the application and subsequent refusal of planning permission for a Inspectorate against the decision. large covered structure for smoking and outdoor An application to build a detached bungalow in dining on the car park adjoining Mill Hill Road.

Thurstaston Road was refused by the council as Scottish and Newcastle appealed against the decision but the Planning Inspectorate upheld the site was on green belt Wirral Council’s refusal. land and the proposal did not meet an identified local housing need. Also the council refused an application for the building of a storm porch at Lee Farm, Thurstaston.

Member Records

There has recently been an application for the building of two houses on land off Mill Road, Thingwall. A number of local residents raised objections and we also objected as we felt there were implications for neighbours’ living

www.itpas.org

When you received this Newsletter, did you check the mailing label to ensure we have your correct details. We need every bit of information to be accurate to comply with the law in respect of holding personal details about people, so please tell us if its incorrect, even if its just your initial or title, please check and let us know.

Phone 648 2444

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Irby, Thurstaston and Pensby Amenity Society Established over 30 years

Chairman Melanie Walker – 648 6780 chairman@itpas.org

Y R DIA All talks are 7.00 for 7.30 pm in

unless stated otherwise.

Vice Chairperson Roy Fisher - 648-7671

Members free - or else £2.00

Secretary Ian Chalmers – 648 5619 secretary@itpas.org

Neighbourhood Plans

Treasurer Latimah Sinclair - 648-2444 treasurer@itpas.org Planning Paul Bell - 648-2243 planning@itpas.org

A Vision for your Community

ITPAS members are being asked for their opinions and priorities when it comes to the 2012/2013 Council budget - this is your chance to influence spending in our area, so please come along and use that opportunity.

Andrew Brannan - Community Engagement Co-ordinator

Membership Jim McCormac - 604-0376 membership@itpas.org

Saucy Postcards

Greenbelt Position Vacant Rights of Way Position Vacant

including New Brighton

Newsletter Roy Fisher – 648 7671 webmaster@itpas.org.uk

Gavin Hunter

Researcher (Funding)

‘Old Ports of the Dee’

Irby Traders Representative TBC Web Manager Roy Fisher - 648-7671 webmaster@itpas.org

‘Lady Hamilton’

Researcher (Local History) Position Vacant

By Michael Corfe

General Committee Lukman Sinclair - 648-2444

enquiries@itpas.org

© ITPAS – Contact the Newsletter editor, details on this page, if you wish to extract information from this Newsletter. For externally drafted articles, contact the copyright holder or author direct (details will be shown). We are more than happy to receive articles, comments, letters or suggestions though they may or may not be included in our forthcoming Newsletters or on the ITPAS website. Any such articles may also be edited at the discretion of the Committee. ITPAS committee members can be contacted by phone or email as detailed above.

www.itpas.org

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