Concerns have been raised that a historic beauty spot, which was used in the treatment of shell-shocked soldiers during WW1, has been left to decline on a new build housing estate.
The pond between School Lane and Park Lane in Maghull forms part of the former Moss Side Hospital and is thought to have been there since the 1860s .
During WW1 , the institution treated more than 3,600 men suffering with the condition then known as 'shell shock', now diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The serene waters and surrounding greenery were used as a tranquil spot for patients and over the years has attracted wildlife such as bats, ducks and herons.
The site is now part of Poppy Fields, a new build housing development led by Persimmon. As part of the plans, the pond was designated as a public amenity.
However, since construction started a number of years ago, there have been reports of anti-social behaviour, as well as debris littering the wildlife site and bat roosts being disturbed.
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Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson has written to Persimmon regarding residents' concerns about the pond. He said the housebuilder must protect what is left at a site that was "the forerunner for much of modern psychiatry".
Bill said: "They also need to make sure the new management company continues to maintain what is a lovely area. The lake and gardens are a historically important location.
"We should be looking after this attractive part of the Poppy Fields estate and the residents continue to have my full support in pressing Persimmon to fulfil their obligations."
Over the weekend, Bill helped stage a 'community clean up' at the estate and its surrounding green spaces, collecting an "impressive" amount of rubbish.
Ross Ferguson is a councillor with Maghull Town Council. He worked at Moss Side Hospital for more than three decades and used to take his eldest daughter, who's now in her 40s, to feed the ducks at the pond. He told the ECHO: "Most people in Maghull were not aware it was even there until the estate starting being constructed.
"It's a beauty spot. It was always protected because it was enclosed, but now it's open."
Ross voiced his concerns about the site, including a potential leak, he said: "There's obviously some sort of a problem with why the water has drained so badly. It's been there so long and that's never happened before. I have never ever seen it like that."
He has also been so anxious about biodiversity in the past he's reported issues as wildlife crimes to police on the advice of a bat protection agency. The area is classed as a 'bat grazing' area, which Ross said it "very important", but alleges the locks were "smashed off" a bat roost.
A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes North West said: "We are aware of items regrettably being discarded into the lake at Poppy Fields and we would again urge members of the public to refrain from doing so.
"During construction of the development, we cleared the lake at regular intervals at a significant cost in an attempt to keep it free from debris. A contractor was directed by Persimmon Homes to clear the pond again in April and over the summer. Contractors also worked to remove graffiti from the bat houses and a fence with a locked gate was installed.
"Unfortunately we are aware of reports of anti-social behaviour in and around the development that residents have raised with the local authority and police. We are in regular contact with residents, the council and elected officials to ensure that we are doing everything we can to help tackle these issues ahead of the transfer of the maintenance of the open spaces - including the lake - to a management company in early 2023."
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