CWAC to retain Shotwick Park with promises to boost biodiversity

Backtracking on plans from 2021 to sell 500 acres of former farmland in Saughall to financier Lex Greensill, Cheshire West and Chester Council has chosen to turn the site into a series of woodland, wildflower meadows, and wetland habitats for the public to enjoy.

The decision to keep the land was made at CWAC’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Greensill, the founder of the now-bust Greensill Capital firm, had announced on his website earlier this week that he would be withdrawing his plans for the site.

“The journey of purchasing Shotwick Park Estate from Cheshire West and Chester Council has been complex,” Greensill wrote. “Along the way I’ve realised that, despite support from so many of you, some voices feel left out of the process.

“This project, which was always meant to bring us together and foster environmental stewardship, has unfortunately become a point of division. As a family, we don’t want any conflict within the community we care so much about.”

Greensill went on to wish the council good luck with its plans, writing “I sincerely hope Cheshire West and Chester Council can find a path forward that resonates with everyone”.

Greensill’s proposals, like those of CWAC’s current ones, had focussed on using Shotwick Park to increase the region’s biodiversity.

Now it will be CWAC that makes those plans reality, with the council noting that by retaining ownership of the land and creating a habitat mosaic it could sequester 21,000 tonnes of carbon and create more than 420 biodiversity units.

This would, in turn, help the council with its goals to be carbon neutral by 2045 and to establish 370 acres of new woodland a year.

“This is a positive step in the future direction of how the council uses its land, prioritising projects that will improve biodiversity, boost habitat creation and create a carbon store through the establishment and management of woodland,” said CWAC Leader Cllr Louise Gittins.

“We’re seeing more instances of extreme weather and issues such as localised flooding due to our changing climate, so it is vital that decisions such as this are made with our climate commitments as a top priority,” she continued.

“Creating more opportunities for people to access nature provides our residents with so many health and wellbeing benefits and I’m looking forward to seeing this project develop and the community continuing to access this site for recreation purposes.”

Cllr Carol Gahan, the cabinet member for finance and legal, added that there would be more consultations with residents and the parish council ahead of planting beginning.

Gahan said: “This includes making sure that plans will not affect public access to the footpath network on this site or the ancient scheduled monument of Shotwick Castle, ensuring the relevant requirements for funding and habitat creation are met. Further details will be shared with the local community as plans progress.”

CWAC is looking to secure funding for the scheme from the national Trees for Climate programme – a programme that has already supported a similar proposal from the National Trust in Sefton. A business case for CWAC’s decision to retain Shotwick Park, drawn up by Amion Consulting, estimated that project could complete by 2028.