A Report by Mary Presland, one of SCARS' representatives on the Management Team.
As part of the national Millennium Greens Project, which was launched in1996, whereby local groups seek to transform currently neglected, derelict, disused sites, the Parr Hall scheme has come into being.
The scheme aims to convert an apparently tatty, muddy and weedy site lying to the rear of Singleton Avenue and extending to the reeded bank of the Sankey Canal into an area whose hitherto unappreciated wildlife interest can be promoted and enjoyed by the community.
Situated between Blackbrook and Merton Bank Road, this is the stretch of canal in which a Mersey flat was photographed sometime in the last century. This rare view of a boat north of Earlestown is usually captioned "Unloading", but is more likely to be of a flat being used during bank repair works.
So far the Parr Hall Millennium Green - the site includes land on which some, at least, of Parr Hall once stood - has been discussed and planned by a management team in which three people from SCARS have been involved - myself, Bill Highcock, and Gill Maltby. Detailed plans have been drawn up, and a Trust Deed, under which the Gren will operate, has been finalised. When the Countryside Commission have vetted this, it will go to the Charity Commission to obtain chatritable status for the Green, and a SCARS representative will be on of the Trustees.
The projected cost of the Green is £159,000 - which will be met by funding from the European Regional Development Fund, the National Lottery (via the Milliennium Commission, through the Countryside Commission), the Merseyside Forest Initiative, the Environment Agency, and others.
When completed, paths will have been laid, including a boardwalk across the marshy area, whose soggy spring will be converted to a shallow pool for pond dipping. There will be interpretation boards, in whose design local schools will participate; barriers should exclude motor cyclists; and there will be an area of mown grassland for play purposes (but no goalposts!).
Most important of all, from SCARS' point of view, will be the de-silting and restoration of the half-mile section of the canal which runs through the site. This will cost the Environment Agency £10,000. We would hope to be able to ensure that this restoration is sympathetically and effectively undertaken. We wish the Parr Hall Millennium Green every success.