The Rowlands Dell Project (adjacent Hare & Hounds Pub) has following a stage I year-long volunteer cleanup has now entered the stage two hard and soft landscaping work which commenced on the 17.9.24 and will last two months (weather dependent). It will provide the following: block paved and benched viewing area, three picnic tables, accessible path, sunken garden, water feature and much more to provide a health and wellness sanctuary for humans and wildlife.

Three Week Update:

Woodland Path, commenced with dig out and disability rail.
Viewing Area, now dug out with foundation prior to block paving and benching.
Protected Trees (TPO) assessed and made safe for the first time, six self seeded sycamores and one dead medium-sized tree removed, woodchip and logs recycled on site.
Sunken Garden, marked out.
Debris removal, the final mountains of vegetation debris cleared by the volunteers was kindly removed by the landscapers.
Hedge re-established, the top edge was reduced to a manageable 5 foot for the first time in 10 years.

Background.

Rowlands Dell is an historic quarry that has become a beautiful haven for nature but has become overgrown and treated like an open tip for 30 years. Which has made it harmful to humans and wildlife alike, whilst its neglect was a potential magnet for developers in our town where every green space is a target for building. Consequently, following three years of planning a three-stage plan was established by the Friends of Maghull and District (FOMD) and NHS partners and landowners.

Stage I, resulted in dedicated FOMD volunteers undertaking 46 consecutive weekly sessions to remove 266 bin bags of rubbish and 25 tons of debris which was tenaciously locked in by beautiful yet dominant invasive and destructive Ivy.

Stage II, has remarkably involved our NHS partners successfully obtaining an £80,000 health and wellness fund never used in the north-west before and a successful £8000 Morrisons grant application undertaken by FOMD and partners TCV which was a highly competitive national 125^th anniversary fund. Consequently, the NHS partners – Groundworks commissioned their landscape architect design plans, obtain planning permission, identified Richard England landscapers through a tendering process. The landscapers have temporarily closed the site for two months for insurance purposes and commenced the eight weeks of work on the 17.9.24, involving hard and soft landscaping.

Stage III: will involve further fundraising to repopulate Rowlands Dell with further woodland trees, shrubs, planting to enhance biodiversity within this natural haven.

Best Wishes,

FOMD

Together Making Maghull a better place to live.

More Information at:

FOMD www.fomd.co.uk

Morrisons www.morrisonsfoundation.com

TCV www.tcv.org.uk/

Full Plans and documents: https://pa.sefton.gov.uk/onlineapplications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=S84GCCNWJDF00&activeTab=summary

Contact: admi@fomd.co.uk

#fomdcic #Maghull #Environment