The borough of Sefton is known for its national and internationally important wildlife sites, ancient hedgerows and home of the red squirrels.  It is surrounded by sites of special scientific interest, local wildlife sites and includes the internationally important RAMSAR designation and Sefton should be leading the way in holding developers to account for any environmental damage they cause.

In Formby, Sefton, developers Barrett Homes and David Wilson Homes have removed in excess of 300 metres of protected priority habitat by removing the hedgerow along Liverpool Road after giving assurances in their planning application that they would protect the local ecology.  They appear to think a replanting scheme will replace a hedgerow which is over 100 years old, this is not acceptable and under the Hedgerow Regulation 1997 act which shows clearly that criminal damage has taken place.

We call upon Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council who are the prosecuting authority to seek the toughest financial penalty available through due legal process and prosecute the developers fully.  It is time that we hold the developers to account for their reckless disregard to our environment.