Home
- Video
- View the Newlands Film
- Want to see the site?
- Click here to see the site
- Contact
For more information please contact Vernon Stockton at the Forestry Commission
vernon.stockton@forestry.gsi.gov.uk- Images
- Click here for fly throughs of the Newlands sites and the project picture gallery
- Press Releases and Downloads
- Want to know more about Bidston Moss? Click here for press releases and downloads for this site.
- Fingertip Facts
- View facts about Bidston Moss
Fingertip Facts - Bidston Moss
Size: 68ha
NWDA investment: £2.7 million
Partners: NWDA, the Forestry Commission, Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority, Wirral Council, Mersey Forest, Groundwork Merseyside
Status: development phase complete
-
Past
Until the 1990s, Bidston Moss was landfill and was most recently classed as ‘unsafe for public access’.
Groundwork Wirral have been working on Bidston Moss since 1995; restoring parts of the site and carrying out greening work with an overall goal of developing the area for education, research and community use. However, significant investment was still needed to expand this work across the whole project area and deliver the ambitious plans. Bidston Moss also makes up part of The Mersey Forest - the Community Forest for Merseyside and North Cheshire - that is delivering environmental improvement projects across large parts of the area.
Motorbikes and vandals have caused problems in the past but security measures have been implemented at Bidston Moss in an attempt to prevent further anti-social behaviour.
As Bidston Moss could be seen by road and rail users alike and lies close to several large residential areas - Birkenhead North End, Bidston Rise, Poulton and Leasowe - it was giving a negative impression of the area.
-
Present
Bidston Moss has been transformed into a thriving community woodland. Features include the newly renovated fishing lake which, with its new ‘recycled’ boardwalks and fishing pegs is welcoming local residents and schools for informal fishing and educational events. New cycle routes (including a 2km parameter trail) link with the existing National Cycle Network. Bidston Moss is now a venue for many sporting events, from traditional cycling to the more unusual pursuit of Nordik Skiiing (which is suited to the steep terrain of Bidston’s ‘mound’).
The site is now even more accessible for local communities, thanks to the addition of the footbridge over the mainline railway, whilst one of the main entrances to Bidston Moss remains within the Mersey Waste Disposal Authority plant, meaning that it has become an integral part of the Authority’s educational and community programme.
Bidston Moss remains popular with local people for informal use like dog walking, exercise and family days out (the site is one of the few with views to the coast, which makes it a popular choice for many. However, a number of community events have been held on site including fun runs and family open days. These have helped to introduce local people to their new community woodland.
In 2007, Bidston Moss became the home for the world’s first Green Billboard. This is a living structure of willow trees stretching over 20 metres, onto which a message board is mounted. Located on the edge of the site and close to a main road, the billboard is a great way to promote an environmental message, and raise awareness of Bidston Moss at the same time.
-
Future
Bidston Moss will continue to provide access to well managed green space for the local community. It brings people together and is contributing to the health, prosperity and positive image of the area.
Bidston Moss will now be managed in the long term by the Forestry Commission, and will therefore continue to be maintained to a high standard. This also means that some of the sites most valued wildlife, including barn owls and lapwings will be protected. The site’s status as a Site of Specific Biological Importance will also be maintained.
Bidston Moss is also fortunate to be an integral part of Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority’s operations. With their busy Recycling Centre located on site, there is a range of opportunities for Bidston Moss to be promoted to an even wider group of people. It also plays a role in the wider educational programme of MWDA, promoting greener living.
-
Regeneration
How Newlands at Bidston Moss is helping your local economy
The regeneration of Bidston Moss has created a key gateway site to transform the image of the City Region of Liverpool. The project is enhancing the M53 corridor whilst supporting other strategic investments for Capital of Culture 2008 and ensuring the delivery of a beacon site within the Mersey Waterfront Regional Park.
In the long term, Bidston Moss will encourage inward business investment and assist in tackling the needs of an area in the top 5% of the national Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Bidston Moss will also add value to the adjacent Housing Market Renewal (HMR) Pathfinder area.