The plan is part of United Utilities’ Better Rivers project, which aims to improve water quality and reduce storm overflows across the North West.
A planning application has been submitted for localised land reprofiling, which will include landscaping, to accommodate a detention tank on land north of Mayfield Drive in Eastham. The tank will store excess storm water during heavy rainfall to prevent overflows into the Mersey Estuary.
The project supports United Utilities’ regulatory obligations under the Environment Act 2021, which requires action to limit discharges from combined sewer overflows to no more than 10 per year on average.
A design and access statement prepared for United Utilities by Tetra Tech Planning and submitted to the council with the plans read: “The fundamental purpose of the “Better Rivers” project is to protect communities and the environment from storm overflow events through the upgrade, improvement and creation of new waste and surface water infrastructure and facilities.
“This is a requirement that UU has to meet under the Environment Act 2021.”
According to the statement, most of the work will be completed below ground, with above-ground changes limited to ‘small-scale’ land reprofiling and landscaping, intended to conceal the tank and integrate the site into its surroundings.
United Utilities say the scheme “should be considered acceptable” due to its “environmental benefits and alignment with planning policy”.
The company also stated that the project will bring “significant environmental, social and economic benefits to the local community.”
A public consultation event held in October at Eastham Lodge Golf Club was attended by 17 people, who were described as “generally very supportive of the scheme.”
A pre-application meeting between United Utilities and the council in October confirmed the landscaping plans can be amended after planning approval, allowing the project to move ahead with scope for community input.
The works are expected to take around 10 months to complete, including testing and commissioning.
According the design and access statement, construction will be scheduled between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday, with occasional work on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.
No work is planned for Sundays or Bank Holidays except in emergencies, such as continuous concrete pours or over-pumping.
Traffic management plans will be in place to minimise disruption, with construction vehicles accessing the site via Mayfield Drive and a temporary entrance from Ferry Road.
Deliveries will be avoided during peak hours.
Landscaping plans will be further developed through discussions with residents.
United Utilities said the completed scheme will provide a “high-quality, accessible, and visually attractive green space” for the community.
The site is not currently allocated for development in the Wirral Local Plan and lies within the Merseyside and Greater Manchester Green Belt.
However, planning documents argue that the scheme represents an appropriate engineering use that preserves the openness of the area.
The site does not fall within any statutory ecological designations.
The underground detention tank and associated works are expected to have minimal visual or environmental impact, with temporary construction access to be removed and land reinstated after completion.
The design and access statement concluded: “The Eastham project is part of a wider effort to reduce pollutant discharges into rivers and coastal waters.
“The plan supports both national and local policy goals of improving climate resilience, water quality, and environmental protection across the region.
“There is little impact on the environment in terms of preserving the openness of the Green Belt, landscape, ecology, transport, and flood risk.
“Where impacts are unavoidable, appropriate mitigation has been incorporated into the proposal and / or can be controlled through the imposition of conditions as necessary.
“Overall, it is considered that the proposal complies with the aims and requirements of the NPPF, the Wirral Local Plan and relevant SPDs.
“It is considered that the proposal will provide significant environmental, social and economic benefits to the local community.
“For the reasons set out the Council is requested to grant planning permission for the proposal.”
For more details, see the planning section of Wirral Council’s website.