Former Mayor fears eyesore “wall of mud” could be threat to wildlife

FORMER Mayor and local nature conservationist Geoff Settle has raised concerns over a “wall of mud” which he fears could be a threat to wildlife as well as an eyesore to local residents.

The “wall of mud” constructed with metal barrels has appeared on land at Birch Avenue, Winwick, much to the horror of local residents and former Mayor of Warrington Geoff Settle, who is also Chair of Warrington Nature Conservation Forum (WNCF).
Last year neighbours in Birch Avenue, Winwick, invited WNCF to investigate doing a bat survey for them. They wanted to know the species of bat flying overhead in the evenings.
Unfortunately, it poured down with rain and the evening came to an early close. However, the residents took the opportunity to talk about other wildlife and a new fence that had been erected without planning permission. The planning inspector had said that on reflection the fence could stay.
Twelve months on the fence has been vandalised and the owner is building a replacement wall with a mound of soil and metal barrels.
Chair of the WNCF, Geoff Settle said, “I saw the wall on Facebook, that Satnam had constructed. After receiving my COVID-19 jab with my wife on Saturday I took a short detour to Birch Avenue to see what all the fuss was all about.
“I was dumbfounded and horrified. This style of construction reminded me of the 6ft wall made up of old tyres near Kingsway Bridge a few years ago.”
“One resident said to me ‘What an eyesore! Would you want to live opposite this monstrosity?’”
Geoff who studied Geography and Planning at the University of Coventry said: “This sort of action is unacceptable to my members. Why do people think that they get away with using such material to trash the environment?
“If this is acceptable to a planning inspector, then planning has gone to the dogs!”
Geoff is also wondering where has the soil came from?
“Are there any invasive plants and seeds within? Are the barrels toxic and what will happen when the rains come? What will be the impact on residents, wildlife, and nature?”
Geoff added, “The WNCF are always highlighting such things across the borough. There is too much of it going on. This incident reminded me of fly-tipping on a grand scale resulting in a very unattractive wall of mud that will spill in the coming rains onto the pavement making it dangerous”.
“Is this what happens when the Prime Minister calls for a Lockdown? It seems like developers can do what they want with little or no regard to resident’s views. Where is the enforcement from Warrington Borough Council when you need them? As a former member of the planning committee, it is my view that this should not be happening.”