http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/7449130.stm

Check this link out. Nothing about the concerns of windsurfers in the link and in other Daily Post articles which have been posted on this website. We need to organse ourselves and make our veiws known to the council & developers at West Kirby Concourse 27/6 and 28/6. Use it or loose it, please make your voice heard to the council officers who will be their to take your veiws between 11am and 7pm.

Carl

Use it or loose it, you snooze you loose, do something about it by making your veiws known.

You should go to the WK concourse tomorrow (Saturday the 28th) from 11-7pm to see the Exhibition, I went on Thursday. There were some bigger pictures of the sailing school wall of death thingy, but they are still very abstract concepts, so it's impossible to determine what will actually be built.

I spoke to Alan Beer who confirmed that they will own the sailing school, but the council will have it on a long term leasehold. I don't know if this means that the council will have to pay them rent, which could be passed on in increased license fees. Hopefully they will also be there tomorrow.

This is a new article in the Wirral Globe.

http://icwirral.icnetwork.co.uk/news/hoylakeandwestkirbynews/tm_headline=west-kirkby-sailing-school-site-hotel-redevelopment-plans-set-to-be-unveiled%26method=full%26_object_id=21144735%26siteid=80898-name_page.html

Carpenter Investments also have a new web site, although there are no new pics.

http://www.westkirbysail.co.uk/

If you're a West Kirbyite you may also want to see council plans for the concourse and the town centre (nothing to do with Carpenters).

http://www.chrisrodgers.co.uk/architectural-project-management/projects/project-item.php?id=10

Saw this programme and whilst it didn't mention windsurfing, it was shot from the car park, towards the lake, with windsurfers in the background. Generally, the debate was for/against the hotel and was there a need? The against argued that although WK is very nice, it is not a long term holiday destination, more of a day trip place, and anyway, Merseyside has got plenty of hotels if you want a base for touring. From a selfish point of view, this hotel couldn't be in a worse place. If it operates anything like the Crosby "consultation", widsurfers' interests will be completely ignored. Maybe WS should ally themselves to against lobby.

Just got back from the Concourse having seen a very, very busy exhibition on the proposed development down @ the Marine Lake.

I would agree with Robbie Rash that at the moment the designs are very abstract and indeed completely differ from each other depending on whether you were looking at the small mock-up or some of the drawing designs.

I spoke to Sarah Beer from Carpenter Investments and she made a few interesting points,

Firstly she believed that the windsurfers were the primary life blood of the lake and she assured me that no part of the development would block the wind. Some sketches showed an Amphitheatre on the existing car park - but this has now been removed.

(I'm still a little concerned that the outer most building encroaches a little too fat onto the car park...)

Carpenter investments are going public with these outline drawings early because they want to get things right. (she lives in the town and "doesn't want to be ducking into shops hiding..." to use her own words

The development company are well aware of the design concerns for the hotel and the reduction in car park spaces.

Firstly the lake car park appears to be approximately the same.
Secondly an underground car park (under the hotel) will actually be bigger (217 v 178 currently).
The Hotel is being looked at as a community facility (i.e. car park, coffee bar, restaurant), but of course there will be rooms & conference facilities too.

On the leaflet handed out there are also a few interesting points,

The hotels designs are only an indication of scale and mass (and opposition to the sketch design has been noted)
Feedback now can/will influence the design team


Some issues I have with the early design of the lake building.

Changing Rooms appear to be on the Road side of the second story. Surely Lake side of the Ground floor is better.

Eating area appears to be in the single story building encroaching the car park - presumably for Hilbre Island Sunset views. As a lake user I rather it be on the second floor with a lake view.

The boat storage area is massive. I can only assume the council is going to get its act together with regard Council/RYA dingy's/windsurfers onto the lake - otherwise it's a waste of useful space.

...and sure you'll all spot more if you can get down.

As Carl said you snooze you loose. We need to make ourselves heard.

Ernie, I also saw the information on the carparking, however this is a bit missleading, the carpaking will also have to be used by 50 staff and the guests staying at the hotel. Let's face it well heeled customers won't be arriving by Merseyrail. It could also be kept clear of non hotel resident parking by setting high rates for using it. Carpenters insisted that underground parking was feasible on this site, however I have some doubts due to the obvious tidal flooding issues. I would reserve judgment on the parking until more detailed plans are forthcoming.

The council are also proposing herring bone parking on the prom, you may have seen white markings painted on the kerbs, why is the necessary if the current levels of parking are being retained?