Committee to consider essential works to marine lake

The Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee will be asked to consider measures to address sand and silt build-up at West Kirby Marine Lake and structural issues with the lake wall.

A recent underwater survey found that approximately 70,000 cubic metres of sand and silt have accumulated on the lake bed, reducing water depth and potentially affecting water sports activities on the lake. 

Without dredging and some essential works to the lake wall, in the long term, the lake may no longer be able to accommodates sports such as sailing and windsurfing, which require a minimum depth of 1.5 metres.

A specialist contractor has proposed a more resilient repair system for the lake wall using grouted stone, which would require the lake to be fully drained. 

Draining the lake would allow dredging and wall repairs to be carried out simultaneously, but before being able to get to that point, some complex environmental permissions need to be in place.

The lake sits within internationally protected areas, including the Dee Estuary RAMSAR site and Special Protection Area, meaning assessments by Natural England and the Marine Management Organisation will be required. This would also mean any work is likely to be restricted to April–September, with the earliest start date projected for April 2027.

The committee report is recommending that the council begin the process of seeking external funding to cover the majority of the costs of the dredging and repairs.

If the necessary work isn't carried out large sections of the lake could become unusable' - potentially impacting the current process of identifying an external specialist provider to take over operations from the Watersports Centre adjacent to the lake. It could also affect people’s access to the popular 2.4km walkway around the lake.

The committee, which meets on 2nd December, is also being asked to endorse the development of a new management strategy to tackle wind-blown sand issues across the north Wirral coast. Rising foreshore levels, driven by natural sediment deposition, have increased sand movement, affecting the usability of the marine lake and other coastal areas.