WIRRAL’S Green Party has launched a last ditch effort to bring the proposed redevelopment of New Brighton to a halt.

Neptune Developments’ £70m scheme for the seafront was given planning permission by Wirral Council earlier this month.

The company wants to push ahead with the second phase of the seafront plan, but Wirral’s Green Party hope their objection, lodged with Government Office North West, could still halt its progress.

The party says the prospect of global warming and declining oil supplies mean planning departments should be looking to reduce dependence on oil for food transportation – and so should be discouraging large supermarket developments.

Neptune’s plan has already been through a public inquiry, which led to substantial revisions in the design.

Much of the opposition had focused on the proposal to fill in the existing marine lake, with a supermarket providing a key component of the scheme’s finance.

In the new version approved by Wirral planners, the supermarket stays, but the focus is moved to the site of the former outdoor swimming baths and New Brighton’s Marine Lake will remain as it is.

On the rest of the designs, the seafront apartment block has gone, to be replaced with a budget hotel, and there will also be a cinema, bars and restaurants.

But last night Wirral Green Party’s Patrick Cleary revealed he has written to Government Office North West, which has to approve the scheme for it to go ahead.

Mr Cleary said his party believes there should be another public inquiry which his members hope will overturn Wirral Council’s planning committee decision.

He said the prospect of global warming and declining oil supplies “should set alarm bells ringing” for planning departments.

Mr Cleary also said it is “completely unacceptable that the considerable commercial potential in New Brighton has been allocated to a single company”.

Liverpool-based Neptune Developments, chosen as the preferred developer for New Brighton by Wirral Council, say the £40 million second phase could bring £20million a year to the resort.

The new development proposal is for 14 hectares of land, from the listed Fort Perch Rock to the roundabout with Kings Parade. It will include a supermarket on the site of the former outdoor pool, and a 60 bed hotel.

Neptune plans to dredge the Marine Lake to make it more viable for sailing, and create space for restaurants, cafes and bars. Next to the supermarket will also be a building for indoor leisure uses, and an indoor and outdoor pool and leisure club on the site of the current model boating lake.

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