There's mounting opposition among locals to the proposal to convert the former Shorrocks Hill nightclub site into 23 new residences. Campaigners call the adjacent green space a haven of "peace and tranquillity" and worry it may be "destroyed" should the current development proceed.
Broadgrove Planning and Development Limited (BPDL) have lodged an application with Sefton Council, aiming at constructing 23 bespoke homes and a 100-space car park on the Formby club's former grounds. This move has sparked concerns within the community about potential detrimental effects on the environment and wildlife.
The controversial site has been in the limelight since 2016 following earlier proposals for 60 homes, which faced strong resident opposition and a formal petition, ultimately leading to their dismissal.
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Developers defend their fresh blueprints, stating they "include a number of significant" benefits that "greatly outweigh any perceived harm", and say they want to continue talking to residents.
Campaign leader Yvonne Irving, aged 83, argues the threat of development has loomed since the location was reclassified from greenbelt to brownfield status nearly a decade ago, reports .
She said: "It's beautiful here and is home to so much amazing wildlife and natural beauty."
She added: "If this development goes ahead, it could well destroy all these amazing habitats and so hundreds of people from Formby have written in objecting to it."
BPDL has presented numerous reports, including analyses regarding the influence of their proposed development on local fauna and trees. They recognized that even the dead trees on-site, as well as the unoccupied structures, might potentially serve as nesting areas for bats, but that no evidence has been found of a local population. BPDL has pledged to install alternative housing like bat boxes across the location, which could support any bats now or eventually residing there.
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BPDL has also committed to taking "reasonable avoidance measures" to avoid negatively impacting any possible wildlife at the site such as red squirrels, badgers, and hedgehogs. Such precautions involve inspections for these animals before beginning work, ensuring that trenches and holes are escapable, and capping off open pipes to promote the safety of these mammals.
An October 2024 consultation review by the Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service has assessed the presence of protected species on a plot of land, finding no evidence of bat habitation but noting that some trees require further evaluation. The report highlighted: "Buildings and trees have previously been categorised as of high bat roost potential, with fire damaged roof spaces and dead trees meaning high conservation roosts are unlikely to be present."
Formby locals continue to express their concerns over additional development at Shorrocks Hill, questioning the need for such proposals.
Nathalie, a Formby resident actively campaigning against the planning application, shared her distress: "So many people from Formby have memories of coming here as children and this area is a place of peace and tranquillity for the local community."
She added, "The possibility of seeing it destroyed is very upsetting. We are putting profit before nature and speaks to what our values are as a society. This space is something we take a lot of pride in and it's a privilege to have it. But unfortunately, these days there's more and more cases of us devaluing and destroying what we have."
"Our green spaces are precious. Local wildlife is precious. For this to be taken over and flattened to concrete is awful and what for? "
The parties proposing the development at Shorrocks Hill have been contacted for a statement by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
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