A passionate bunch of environmental campaigners have vowed not to be moved as the fight to save their local nature reserve enters its sixth year.
The Save Rimrose Valley group was formed in 2017 in direct opposition to National Highways' plans to build a dual carriageway through the beloved green space in the heart of South Sefton. They said 2023 could be a "pivotal year" in the battle, as the government-owned company is due to hold a statutory public consultation on its preferred route.
Group campaign co-ordinator Stu Bennett said: "In the time we've had, numbers have gone up and down, people have come and gone, but we've got a core team of people who have stuck it out - and we're in it for the long run. We knew it was going to be a long fight, but it has gone on longer than we ever imagined."
READ MORE: 'No more hiding' over Port's role in controversial road through 'last bit of green space'
The plans to create the access road between the Port of Liverpool and the motorway have been a source of strife for both local councillors and campaigners for the past six years.
Campaigners say the main driving force behind the road plans is the expansion of the port, as the large number of incoming HGVs has caused congestion on the A5036 Princess Way scheme. But Peel Ports bosses called the claims "misleading" and said: "It is not and never has been a Peel Ports project.”
Stu said: "Since Rimrose Valley was created 30 years ago it has become a vital habitat for all sorts of wildlife - barn owls, water voles, bats and insects, along with all the plantlife that exists there. We need to be treasuring these places, not bulldozing them.
"When everybody was in lockdown and we had just one hour a day to go out, the valley was a lifeline for a lot of people's mental health, as well as physical. Rimrose is surrounded by a lot of houses without the luxury of a garden. If there's a dual carriageway full of HGVs in the future, where would we go?
"The next stage of the process is a statutory consultation. They consulted the community many years ago on two different proposed routes; the next round will be on the final design for the road. As soon as that happens, the clock starts ticking. It's going to be massively important for us to rally the community to turn out in force to reject the proposal outright."
He added: "Over the years, the more it goes on, there's a risk that people will lose interest and it might fade into the background. But we have just grown and grown. Our demonstrations get bigger and better. We're not going anywhere, and I hope National Highways understand that."
Stewart Jones, regional delivery director at National Highways, said: “The A5036 performs several important functions; not only does it serve as a local community and commuter route, but it also acts as a link for trips to and from Bootle, Maghull and Liverpool city centre, as well as forming part of the strategic road network. The scheme looks to address congestion, unreliability, safety and community severance problems that exist along the current route. Residents living alongside the existing road suffer from both noise and air quality nuisance, conditions that are likely to worsen as traffic levels increase.
“Scheme progress has been impacted by several factors, including the pandemic. We are currently updating traffic data and modelling, and re-assessing the project schedule.
“We know that there are a range of views about the scheme, and will update the local community on the timetable for the public consultation as soon as we can. We strongly appreciate the importance of Rimrose Valley Park to the local community and are committed to ensuring that our scheme continues to provide the environmental and amenity benefits the local community value.”
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