New Ferry Butterfly Park

New Ferry Butterfly Park

Contents

About

New Ferry Butterfly Park is a nature reserve managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust.[1]

Situated next to Bebington railway station, Wirral, New Ferry Butterfly Park is an oasis of green tranquillity in densely populated urban area. Originally abandoned railway sidings, its industrial past has been put to good use as a home for wildlife. On the thin, nutrient- poor soils which overlie old railway track beds, there are now carpets of wild flowers, including wild carrot & occasional bee orchids. The lime waste from a water softening plant has been used to create a calcareous grassland, with all the specialist wildflowers which depend in this habitat, while drifts of coal dust have transformed into acidic grassland dominated by common bent, sheep's sorrel & bird's-foot trefoil. Up to 26 species of butterfly have been recorded here, with 18 species breeding on site – giving the park its rather apt name.

Recent History

Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT) was granted the tenancy over the land in 1993 by the site’s previous owner the British Railways Board. Since then Brock PLC bought the land in 1997 in an open auction. New Ferry Butterfly park has been under threat of closure since 2009, when leaseholder (CWT) was told to vacate the site by Frithmere Ltd. (subsidiary of Brock PLC of Ellesmere Port). Frithmere's agents suggested an alternative site for park's relocation – Bromborough Dock landfill, which currently belongs to Biffa.[2]

On June 29, 2011, the Liverpool County Court rejected Frithmere's notice to quit as it was issued following wrong procedure. However, Frithmere could now serve a notice to quit under the 1954 Act, but the Court warned the firm would find it difficult to succeed and refused to allow an appeal, since, according to the judge: “The only grounds on which I can conceive it succeeding are on redevelopment of the site, and there may be difficulty in securing planning permission in view of the nature of this land.”[3]

Earlier in 2010 a secret Wirral Council report recommended officials to use power under the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to buy a butterfly park threatened with closure.[4] Since the closure threat was announced, thousands of people have signed petitions in support of the park. Many supporters fear that Brock PLC is using the purchased land as a bargaining chip in its dealings with the Wirral Council. Other major land developments in the region (e.g., The Peel Group and its ongoing Wirral Waters project) had also resulted in similar encroachments on the wildlife protected land.[5]

The park, which after 15 years in existence, has now become an invaluable community resource and has recently attracted some 500 visitors on its Open Day (May 2011), and has also successfully hosted an open-air Art Trail for the past two years.[6] The short-term lease currently makes it difficult to apply for grants or build a much needed all-season visitor centre. The park land supports at least 397 species, including butterflies, moths, bees and spiders.[7]

References

  1. ^ Cheshire Wildlife Trust Retrieved 2011-06-11
  2. ^ "New Ferry Butterfly Park wins legal battle to stay open Read More http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/06/30/new-ferry-butterfly-park-wins-legal-battle-to-stay-open-92534-28966755/2/#ixzz1aOx5J4Dy". Liverpool Daily Post. 30.06.2011. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/06/30/new-ferry-butterfly-park-wins-legal-battle-to-stay-open-92534-28966755/2/#ixzz1aOPNuSXV. Retrieved 10 October 2011. 
  3. ^ "New Ferry Butterfly Park wins legal battle to stay open Read More http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/06/30/new-ferry-butterfly-park-wins-legal-battle-to-stay-open-92534-28966755/2/#ixzz1aOx5J4Dy". Liverpool Daily Post. 30.06.2011. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/06/30/new-ferry-butterfly-park-wins-legal-battle-to-stay-open-92534-28966755/2/#ixzz1aOPNuSXV. Retrieved 10 October 2011. 
  4. ^ "Wirral Council secret report recommends buying New Ferry Butterfly Park". Wirral News. 7.12.2010. http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-news/local-wirral-news/2010/01/07/wirral-council-secret-report-recommends-buying-new-ferry-butterfly-park-100252-25542625/. Retrieved 10 October 2011. 
  5. ^ "Halting of Mersey tidal barrage scheme welcomed by wildlife groups Read More http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/06/24/halting-of-mersey-tidal-barrage-scheme-welcomed-by-wildlife-groups-92534-28933157/#ixzz1dQYdenDp". Liverpool Daily Post. 24/06/2011. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/06/24/halting-of-mersey-tidal-barrage-scheme-welcomed-by-wildlife-groups-92534-28933157/. 
  6. ^ "NFBP and Sculpture Trail". http://www.artinliverpool.com/?p=25306. Retrieved 10 October 2011. 
  7. ^ "New Ferry Butterfly Park". http://homepage.ntlworld.com/axisassortment/4%20-%20Parks%20and%20Open%20Spaces/06%20-%20Butterfly%20Park.htm. Retrieved 10 October 2011. 

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • New Ferry — Coordinates: 53°21′36″N 2°59′49″W / 53.360°N 2.997°W / 53.360; 2.997 …   Wikipedia

  • New Jersey Meadowlands Commission — Agency overview Formed 1969 Jurisdiction New Jersey Meadowlands Headquarters 1 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 Agency executives …   Wikipedia

  • Marine Life Park — Date opening 2012 [1] Location Resorts World Sentosa, Sentosa Island, Singapore[1] Land area 8 ha (20 acres) …   Wikipedia

  • Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park — Infobox World Heritage Site WHS = Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park State Party = VIE Type = Natural Criteria = viii ID = 951 Region = Asia Pacific Year = 2003 Session = 27th Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/951Infobox protected area | name =… …   Wikipedia

  • Glen Canyon Park — Aerial photograph of Glen Canyon Park; the Bosworth St., Sussex St., and Diamond Heights Shopping Center entrances are labeled. O Shaughnessy Blvd. divides Glen Canyon Park (on the east) from O Shaughnessy Hollow (to the west). Typ …   Wikipedia

  • Babylon (village), New York — Infobox Settlement official name = Babylon, New York settlement type = Village nickname = motto = imagesize = image caption = image pushpin mapsize = 250px map caption = mapsize1 = map caption1 = subdivision type = Country subdivision name =… …   Wikipedia

  • Nyack, New York — Nyack   Village   Nickname(s): Nyack Motto: Your Gem on the Hudson …   Wikipedia

  • LOHAS Park Station — LOHAS Park 康城 …   Wikipedia

  • Cheshire Wildlife Trust — The Cheshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Cheshire and parts of the counties of Greater Manchester and Merseyside, England. The trust manages 43 nature reserves totalling over 470 hectares, including:[1] Birch… …   Wikipedia

  • Detroit International Riverfront — Skyline of Detroit. The Renaissance Center is visible to the right. The Detroit International Riverfront is an area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River. The International Riverfront area extends from the Ambassador Bridge in the… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”