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Well done mate, certainly a surprise result.

Yes, well done indeed that man ! Thank goodness you highlighted this before it was too late. For once WBC seem to be on the ball. Hopefully, the area will now remain "as is".

Thanks Guys, now to find 28k in 28 days, sounds like a good title for a film....lol

I am amazed it went for that price, because of the restrictions on the site, the land is almost without value.

I guess there would always be some chance of pushing a phone-mast permission, which would generate a comfortable income judging from the site across the road (circa 12K per annum).

I think it wrong that the auctioneers don't have to highlight the land restrictions on the advert. Buyer beware I suppose.

their was a guy who was bidding against us who wanted it for paintballing, Don't think that would have worked if we get the Public right of way granted. And the travellers were also at the auction bidding, found out today that they were evicted from land in Chester that also belonged to Wordsworth homes?????

There's already a few paint-balling sites on the Wirral, at least two that I can think off, and a couple of sites that probably unofficially get used as well, I didn't think there would be room for another.

There's a bit of private woodland not far from J3 (Woodchurch) that seemed to be up for sale for ever, it is well out the way for anyone to object, I am surprised that never got grabbed by outward bound/paintball type groups.

I think that's just an advert, as it's not on the website in question (and hasn't been since I first checked about 5 years ago).

In 2006, if it is Stanley Wood, Teal Sport UK were using it for clay pigeon shooting, it is also listed as an area of Biological Importance.

Why isit listed as an area of Biological Importance?

No idea, it is not a protected listing.

not sure, I know their is a bat sanctuary their, The scientific bit is mentioned in the legal docs I obtained from the auction, I think that it has something to do with it being saxon land, but not too sure why, Upton.cx may know

sorry just read back and seen you was referring to the land at J3 although overchurch is listed to, maybe its just a standard input by the authority

No problem Earl,!
Just glad all the friends of Wirral History sites got together in time , and it went well.

I have spoken to every man & his dog at Woodlands for Sale but they don't know anything about this wood. I even sent photos of the sign in relation to the M53 road signs. Still don't know.

From the Globe:

Celebration after Upton woodland is saved

A WIRRAL community is celebrating after raising thousands of pounds to save a threatened piece of woodland.

Members of the Upton community rallyed to raise around £34,000 to buy a three-and-a-half acre piece of land behind Overton Community Centre.

And organisers behind the project have thanked the Globe after our readers responded to their story two weeks ago.

Residents' association member Jean Robinson had launched a last-minute campaign to raise cash so she could bid for the land when it went under the hammer on Thursday, September 9.

The estate, which sits behind Overton Community Centre and was in regular use by the public, was put up for auction but local residents feared new owners would destroy the natural area.

But after winning the plot for £28,500, they were faced with a race against time to raise the remaining amount of money needed before the land was sold to another bidder.

And thanks to support from Globe readers, Wirral Council and Wirral Partnership Homes, the action group managed to exceed their target.

Jean said: "We have been overwhelmed by the amount of donations we have had off everybody. The generosity is just astounding and we cannot believe the way the whole community and the wider community have pulled together to achieve this.

"Of course we also want to say thank-you to Wirral Partnership Homes and Wirral Council for agreeing to contribute around £12,000 towards the fund.

"We are also hugely grateful to the Wirral Globe for supporting us and giving us a platform to appeal to the people of Wirral."

Now, a meeting has been scheduled so that those who donated can decide how to deal with the land.

It will be held on Wednesday, October 20 at the Overton Community Centre to look into the prospect of handing the land to the Woodlands Trust.

Jean said: "At the moment there are issues with how the Woodlands Trust would manage the land so we all need to get together to discuss it. It is amazing that we managed to go above and beyond what we needed so that extra money will now go towards the Trust."

Cllr Stuart Whittingham, one of the ward councillors who backed the campaign, said: "We would like to congratulate the Overchurch residents on their amazing and successful campaign to raise the money necessary to fund this purchase.

"This was a great achievement and shows just what can be done by a determined community who have now bought an asset the whole community can enjoy for generations to come.

"This is a time for politicians of all parties to take a step backwards and let the credit go to a community who took matters into their own hands and achieved what seemed impossible at first in the short timescale available."