Hoylake Beach Management Plan

This Consultation is now closed

Wirral Council is moving forward on developing a new beach management plan for Hoylake and will be continuing to engage with residents, elected members and other stakeholders as part of this process.

Two options have now been developed for public consultation and are outlined below. To have your say please complete the survey below.

A report, including feedback on the consultation, will go to a meeting of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee due in April 2024.

Both options remain subject to further detailed Habitat Regulation Assessments (HRAs) and other evidential reports pending assent from Natural England.

Option 1 - Access for All option

The Access for All option is based on the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transportation Committee’s resolution to work with natural processes along the entire beach but with a focus on greatly improved access for all and clearance of slipways.

The Access for All option provides the “do minimum” option with regard to vegetation removal. It does not include vegetation removal between Red Rocks and Kings Gap, however it does include for:

  • Removal of sand and vegetation from slipways to improve access onto the foreshore.
  • Removal of vegetation for 225m to the west (approximately Clydesdale Road) and 130m to the east of the Hoylake Lifeboat Station North Slipway. This is to allow for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.
  • Removal of a 10m strip of vegetation from Kings Gap perpendicular to the coastline through the emerging saltmarsh. This strip is to allow for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.
  • Removal of a strip of vegetation no wider than 10m parallel to the sea wall from Kings gap to the RNLI west slipway. This strip is to allow for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.


Option 2 - Amenity Beach option

The Amenity Beach option provides a more extensive approach with regard to vegetation removal. It is based on the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transportation Committee’s resolution to "do nothing" from Red Rocks to Trinity Road and "do everything" from Trinity Road to the RNLI station.

Option 2 Amenity Beach also includes for

  • Removal of sand and vegetation from slipways to improve access onto the foreshore.
  • Removal of vegetation for 130m to the east of the Hoylake Lifeboat Station North Slipway and 320m to the west at Trinity Road, tapered on its landward return at Government Road some 140m further west. This also includes the area for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.
  • Removal of a 10m strip of vegetation from Kings Gap perpendicular to the coastline through the emerging saltmarsh. This strip is to allow for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.
  • Removal of a strip of vegetation no wider than 10m parallel to the sea wall from Kings Gap to the RNLI west slipway. This strip is to allow for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.


The management actions detailed below will apply as part of either option:

Maintenance of highway drainage

Both beach management options include for localised sand clearance at the outfalls serving the highway drainage network for the adjacent North Parade. This will allow for free discharge onto the foreshore and improve highway drainage.

Improvement to water quality discharges

The current highway drainage arrangement allows for road pollutants to discharged to the foreshore when highway drains are in use. Both beach management options recommend installation and maintenance of petrol interceptors to prevent pollutants reaching the foreshore.

Maintenance of Hoylake Boating Lake

Wind blown sand frequently infills Hoylake Boating Lake. Current arrangements to remove and dispose of the sand are time consuming and costly. Drainage of the lake water is problematic as it cannot easily be drained to sewer and dredged sand is disposed offsite incurring transportation costs. Both beach management options have identified improved arrangements for drainage of the lake and disposal of the sand on the foreshore. Both activities would be subject to permitting and licencing approvals.

Management of wind-blown sand

The requirement for sand fencing along the full length of North Parade has been considered as part of the beach management options development. Both options contain a recommendation to remove the plastic green netting as its weathering has caused it to become brittle resulting in fragments breaking off and littering the beach. Both beach management options recommend further monitoring to evaluate the impact that vegetation growth has before installing a suitable sand fencing system.

Hoylake Beach Code of Conduct

Both beach management options include the introduction of a Beach Code of Conduct. Based on the principles of “Respect, Protect, Enjoy” it can be promoted ,shared and displayed to all visitors of Hoylake Beach so that everyone conducts themselves in a safe, sensible and environmentally friendly way while enjoying the beach. The beach code will provide guidance on the themes of:

  • Leave No Trace
  • Protecting Wildlife
  • Dog Friendly Beach


Hoylake Beach Document Library

The Council has collated a set of reports, maps and photographs related to Hoylake Beach. The folders named below contain new information added since the previous consultation:

2023 Botanical Survey and Shore Dock Survey

Beach Management Plan Options Habitat Regulations Assessments

These can be accessed through Google Drive via the 'Document Library' button below. Please note that some of the file sizes are large and make take some time to download. Guidance on how to access and download files from Google Drive is provided in the Documents section of this page. If you have any issues with Google Drive access, please contact us: hoylakebeach@wirral.gov.uk

Due to the nature of the documents, they may not be suitable to view for users of assistive technology or mobile phones. If you need a copy of any of these documents, please contact us through the email address above.

Aerial Photography and Sediment Information is subject to an open government licence. Any re-use of the data must credit the North West and North Wales Coastal Group through the North West Regional Monitoring Programme www.coastalmonitoring.org

This Consultation is now closed

Wirral Council is moving forward on developing a new beach management plan for Hoylake and will be continuing to engage with residents, elected members and other stakeholders as part of this process.

Two options have now been developed for public consultation and are outlined below. To have your say please complete the survey below.

A report, including feedback on the consultation, will go to a meeting of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee due in April 2024.

Both options remain subject to further detailed Habitat Regulation Assessments (HRAs) and other evidential reports pending assent from Natural England.

Option 1 - Access for All option

The Access for All option is based on the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transportation Committee’s resolution to work with natural processes along the entire beach but with a focus on greatly improved access for all and clearance of slipways.

The Access for All option provides the “do minimum” option with regard to vegetation removal. It does not include vegetation removal between Red Rocks and Kings Gap, however it does include for:

  • Removal of sand and vegetation from slipways to improve access onto the foreshore.
  • Removal of vegetation for 225m to the west (approximately Clydesdale Road) and 130m to the east of the Hoylake Lifeboat Station North Slipway. This is to allow for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.
  • Removal of a 10m strip of vegetation from Kings Gap perpendicular to the coastline through the emerging saltmarsh. This strip is to allow for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.
  • Removal of a strip of vegetation no wider than 10m parallel to the sea wall from Kings gap to the RNLI west slipway. This strip is to allow for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.


Option 2 - Amenity Beach option

The Amenity Beach option provides a more extensive approach with regard to vegetation removal. It is based on the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transportation Committee’s resolution to "do nothing" from Red Rocks to Trinity Road and "do everything" from Trinity Road to the RNLI station.

Option 2 Amenity Beach also includes for

  • Removal of sand and vegetation from slipways to improve access onto the foreshore.
  • Removal of vegetation for 130m to the east of the Hoylake Lifeboat Station North Slipway and 320m to the west at Trinity Road, tapered on its landward return at Government Road some 140m further west. This also includes the area for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.
  • Removal of a 10m strip of vegetation from Kings Gap perpendicular to the coastline through the emerging saltmarsh. This strip is to allow for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.
  • Removal of a strip of vegetation no wider than 10m parallel to the sea wall from Kings Gap to the RNLI west slipway. This strip is to allow for launch and recovery of RNLI equipment during lifesaving operations.


The management actions detailed below will apply as part of either option:

Maintenance of highway drainage

Both beach management options include for localised sand clearance at the outfalls serving the highway drainage network for the adjacent North Parade. This will allow for free discharge onto the foreshore and improve highway drainage.

Improvement to water quality discharges

The current highway drainage arrangement allows for road pollutants to discharged to the foreshore when highway drains are in use. Both beach management options recommend installation and maintenance of petrol interceptors to prevent pollutants reaching the foreshore.

Maintenance of Hoylake Boating Lake

Wind blown sand frequently infills Hoylake Boating Lake. Current arrangements to remove and dispose of the sand are time consuming and costly. Drainage of the lake water is problematic as it cannot easily be drained to sewer and dredged sand is disposed offsite incurring transportation costs. Both beach management options have identified improved arrangements for drainage of the lake and disposal of the sand on the foreshore. Both activities would be subject to permitting and licencing approvals.

Management of wind-blown sand

The requirement for sand fencing along the full length of North Parade has been considered as part of the beach management options development. Both options contain a recommendation to remove the plastic green netting as its weathering has caused it to become brittle resulting in fragments breaking off and littering the beach. Both beach management options recommend further monitoring to evaluate the impact that vegetation growth has before installing a suitable sand fencing system.

Hoylake Beach Code of Conduct

Both beach management options include the introduction of a Beach Code of Conduct. Based on the principles of “Respect, Protect, Enjoy” it can be promoted ,shared and displayed to all visitors of Hoylake Beach so that everyone conducts themselves in a safe, sensible and environmentally friendly way while enjoying the beach. The beach code will provide guidance on the themes of:

  • Leave No Trace
  • Protecting Wildlife
  • Dog Friendly Beach


Hoylake Beach Document Library

The Council has collated a set of reports, maps and photographs related to Hoylake Beach. The folders named below contain new information added since the previous consultation:

2023 Botanical Survey and Shore Dock Survey

Beach Management Plan Options Habitat Regulations Assessments

These can be accessed through Google Drive via the 'Document Library' button below. Please note that some of the file sizes are large and make take some time to download. Guidance on how to access and download files from Google Drive is provided in the Documents section of this page. If you have any issues with Google Drive access, please contact us: hoylakebeach@wirral.gov.uk

Due to the nature of the documents, they may not be suitable to view for users of assistive technology or mobile phones. If you need a copy of any of these documents, please contact us through the email address above.

Aerial Photography and Sediment Information is subject to an open government licence. Any re-use of the data must credit the North West and North Wales Coastal Group through the North West Regional Monitoring Programme www.coastalmonitoring.org

Page last updated: 26 Mar 2024, 07:46 AM