Cuckoo Lane

Cuckoo Lane, Little Neston

Update 23 April 2014

The controversy over the Cuckoo Lane “improvement” work carried out by CWaCC started in mid-December and it now, four months later, looks like it has reached a satisfactory conclusion.

WFOSPS members have been very heavily involved in the negotiations between campaigners, CWaCC and Neston Town Council. Although the general feeling is that it would have been preferable if the lane had been left alone, a solution has now been implemented which has, so far, has been broadly welcomed.

Essentially, this is what has happened:

• the tarmac road planings have been entirely removed from the sandstone bed of the historic holloway,
• the track on the top section has been narrowed to 2.25m,
• the excavated soil has been gently removed from the verges (thereby exposing the bluebells and other natural flora),
• the edges of the track have been softened,
• a new “grit stone” surface laid over the remaining planings.

Here’s a link to an article published today in the Chester Chronicle:

http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/nest--cuckoo-lane-restored-7018268

Although these negotiations have taken up a vast amount of time, I feel that it has been very worthwhile and, perhaps, lessons have been learned for whenever similar schemes are proposed. It has also raised the profile of WFOSPS in a very positive way.

Geoff Holland

Footpaths Officer (South)

WFOSPS