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I'v been told by a number of WK residents that the Lake will be closed for upto 12-months whilst contractors replace (not repair) the original 100 year old section of wall on the south end of the lake. All I can find on the subject is this artical in the Daily post dated 16th May. Has this proposal moved on & since been approved? Any body know start & completion dates? And how does this effect licence fee's? Long term, its good that the repairs or being done, but its a shame that the repairs couldnt have been carried during the summer light wind session instead of the stronger wind session.
Daily post 16th May.
ONE of Merseyside’s most popular seaside walks could be washed away unless urgent repair works are carried out.
West Kirby Marine Lake’s outer wall is crumbling, and engineers say it is only a matter of time before it becomes too dangerous to allow visitors to continue walking along it.
The popular seaside walk, along the outer wall of the lake, has become a feature of the promenade in west Wirral since it was built more than a century ago.
But a report to Wirral Council says “the rate of degradation is increasing such that it is now important that works are carried out as a matter of urgency”.
However, the works will cost £750,000 and could also mean closure of the lake while the repairs are carried out.
The Marine Lake, at West Kirby, was originally opened in 1899 as a leisure facility, with the outer wall retaining the water in the lake and providing a walkway for the public.
The construction also reduced the exposure of South Parade to tidal attack during times of storm.
But, by the early 1980s, the outer wall had deteriorated to such an extent that it was in some doubt whether to even repair the lake wall or even to demolish and abandon it, or whether to carry out the necessary reconstruction works.
Following a full economic and technical analysis, the decision was taken to demol-ish the existing lake outer wall and build a new one to the seaward side, providing a much larger area of water.
This had the result of also retaining the walkway around the lake and the she ltering effect of the outer wall on South Parade. This work was carried out in 1986/87.
The inner face of the outer wall was constructed using a specialised marine bituminous mixture which had a life expectancy of 20-25 years, and is now showing signs of “distress”.
The report, which will be considered by the council’s cabinet later this month, said: “There have been a number of localised failures of the material, which have been repaired. However, the rate of degradation is increasing such that it is now important that works are carried out as a matter of urgency.
“If works are not carried out, then the outer wall will become unsafe for the public to use, debris from the failing wall will accumulate within the lake, and the protective effect of the wall on South Parade will be lost.”
There are also concerns that rising sea-levels, inc- reasing stormy weather and the increasing age of the out- er wall are all likely to accel- erate the rate of deterioration.
If, as expected, the council approves the repair work it is likely that work will start on site in November and finish in spring, 2009.
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