PLASTIC windows and satellite dishes could eventually damage Port Sunlight’s prospect of becoming a World Heritage Site, it was warned last night.

Chief executive of the Port Sunlight Village Trust, Lionel Bolland, said more than 50 houses – all Grade II- listed – have uPVC windows and some others are in disrepair.

He said: “The problem with a heritage site like this is the heritage can erode away quietly. “My concern is that unless we do something to stop that, in 20 years’ time we will be saying ‘how did we let this happen’?

“We need to take action now so we don’t have to say that.”

Mr Bolland was speaking ahead of a meeting of Wirral Council’s planning committee which will decide this week whether to adopt the Port Sunlight Conservation Management Plan. The plan was commissioned in 2007 and is to help provide a long-term management strategy for the village.

Port Sunlight was created by William Hesketh Lever for workers in his nearby factory and although not the first village of its type, it is unique in its size and extent. It has more than 900 buildings, including public and residential, many of the latter now privately owned. The Village Trust was set up to maintain the village and protect its historical importance.