ENVIRONMENTAL concerns for the future of migratory birds along the Hoylake waterfront have delayed plans to turn an abandoned toilet into a smart cafe.

Former police officer Gary Watson wants to create a sunset viewing platform at the disused public conveniences block, which juts into the beach off Wirral’s North Parade.

His £150,000 design includes wheelchair accessible toilets, a viewing deck on a jetty, and an IT kiosk for visitors, near the junction with Trinity Road.

But environmental group Natural England (NE) have raised concerns about the development’s potential impact on migratory birds. The site lies within a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

The nearby Dee Estuary is one of the ten most important estuaries in Europe for the over-wintering of wildfowl and wading birds, with large numbers of ducks, particularly pintail and shelduck, mallard, common scoter and red-breasted merganse.

The estuary is also of international importance for wading birds, with bar-tailed godwit, knot and oystercatcher and many other species present each winter in numbers up to 140,000 birds.

Wirral Council declared the toilet block surplus to requirements in 2005, and launched a search for a new tenant to run anything from a cafe to a studio.

The council consulted NE about the plans, because of the potential impact on a key waterfront environmental site.

But NE says it has not received enough reassurance from the developer about protecting the SSSI. A spokeswoman for the green group said: “That area has multiple designations, including being an SSSI and is important for international migratory birds.

“All applications have to show they demonstrate no harmful impact to the site.

“Our view is they have not done this. We are not objecting, but asking them for more information.

“We do not have enough information from them for a full assessment.”

Former Merseyside detective inspector Mr Watson said he was baffled as to why his plans were being held up, although he has now agreed to provide more detail to NE.

He described delays in getting his project under way as “mindblowing”, adding: “The delays have meant I have missed the golf Open, the European Sandyachting Championships, the RNLI Lifeboat Days and Wirral Walks.

“It must add up to half a million pounds in lost potential revenue.

“And it’s made more frustrating because people want this. No one single person to my knowledge has objected – on the contrary people want this.”

Mr Watson, who is also the safety manager for a European cruise operator fleet with 15 ships, submitted a planning application to transform the building into a cafe, in June 2006.

He wants to see the toilet block extended and refurbished to create the cafe, where he would serve traditional foods and speciality teas.

He said the delays became even more frustrating after the new Hoylake Lifeboat station, a short distance away, was granted planning permission for a much larger development.

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