Forums Forums Wirral Information Ask - Wiki Wirral Accessing Marine Lake, New Brighton

Hiya,

I've been scouring the internet all afternoon to try and work out how access to the Marine Lake works.

I've established that to launch my personal canoe or kayak on there, I can contact Wirral Council for a permit, which I have done and am awaiting a response.
But I'm just wondering if anyone knows how it works, does this just cover me and my boat for just one 'session' and will I be required to request a new permit each time I want to use the lake? What about swimming? Do I need a permit for that too or are you just allowed to go in for a dip? I read somewhere there was an order banning anyone from entering without a permit, but the wirral council website only mentions paddle craft, not swimmers.

Basically I'd like to take my canoe and maybe a couple of kayaks down there on a couple of evenings or weekeends with some of my family/friends and their children to paddle and have a bit of a splash/swim about. I have all the relevent safety equipment and I am a British Canoeing Qualified Coach and am training in Safety and Rescue, so know how to manage groups on the water and keep people safe. I'm not looking to just go down and hooligan about. Do I need to obtain a permit for every person I intend to go with, even if they are just there to stand in the water and support/supervise the kids? Will I need a new permit (s) everytime I want to visit the venue? Or can people just swim in the lake now?

If you have any up to date information on how using the marine lake works, I'd love to hear from you. It's such a shame to have this venue on our doorstep and not be able to use it.

Thanks in advance!

Most of the prohibition on bathing/paddling in years gone by was with toxic algae bloom? Especially in hot weather. I remember a few years ago they even prohibited crabbing/access top the water because the bloom was so big. Anybody else have any info?

I don't think you are allowed to swim, I seem to remember something about drunks going in the lake for midnight swims etc, and years before that there were signs saying no swimming, attached to the railings on the prom, but don't take that as gospel.

Just found something that suggests you can if you sign a disclaimer from WBC, hope this helps.

I wouldn't swim in it, its filthy.

Many moons ago the company I worked for had to partially pump out the marine lake to facilitate the alteration of the inlet/outlet pipes, we were told that because the lake never achieved a complete turnover of water on high tides this allowed the accumulation of heavy metals. This however did not stop oriental looking people taking away barrels of crabs. Personally, I wouldn’t dip a toe in it. But each to their own.

Where would the heavy metals come from?

From the river and the old industries upstream. I saw a report many years ago about the disposal of the sand from the old settling tanks at Guinea Gap when it was still sea water and it contained Lead. Mercury, Bismuth, Arsenic, etc, etc. It cost a fortune to get the sand disposed of.

But there aren't any rivers running into marine lake (and if there were then that would be creating a turnover of water).

I've got the health, safety and risk assessment side of things covered as this is what I do for a living, I'm aware of all the risks a still body of water can harbour (no pun intended haha) . I appreciate the concern, but I'd find information about access more useful

A business currently uses it frequently for paddle boarding sessions and a triathlete club also swim in it as far as I know so it must be reasonably suitable for my intended purposes.

Wirral Council have yet to respond to my emails regarding a permit thus far. I might try emailing the paddleboard company and see what they say.

Contact The Newbrightners on Facebook they may help.

Marine Point have posted this today

"The lake at Marine Point is set to become a new water-based activities hub.

Wakeboarding, paddle boarding, floating obstacle course, open water swimming and more are planned for the space.

Adv. who run a site in Albert Dock will begin work here next year."

Explains why they're not issuing permits.

https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/...-takeover-new-brighton-39-s-marine-lake/