Wirral's Hilbre Island set to become artists' retreat

Hilbre Island is off the coast of Hoylake and West Kirby

Derelict buildings on an island off the Wirral coast will be transformed into an arts studio and scientific research base.

A 30-year lease has been granted to the Hilbre Community Land Trust (HCLT) so it can renovate Fog Cottage and Telegraph House on Hilbre Island.

The plans would "help secure [the buildings'] future," Wirral councillor Allan Brame said.

The island is in the Dee Estuary off Hoylake and West Kirby.

In 2018, a Wirral Council report said it should consider "a managed decline of the properties" or leave them as they were.

It added any commercial opportunities would be "limited".

But at an environment and transport committee meeting on 12 March it approved the plans to hand over the lease the HCLT.

The Trust is made up of community organisations including the British Art and Design Association (BADA), Friends of Hilbre Island and the Hilbre Bird Observatory.

BADA chief executive Terry Duffy said he'd had the idea for an arts space on "Wirral's gem" during the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: "I was taking my dog out for a walk and I went over there to draw.

"Then I noticed this whole set of buildings that the average person wouldn't notice at all but I just saw this buildings as a potential opportunity."

Mr Brame said he was pleased to see the idea had come to fruition, adding: "The buildings were just going to deteriorate ... We couldn't afford to lose them but we couldn't afford to maintain them."

Friends of Hilbre chairman Dave Gregson said Hilbre was "very much at the heart of Wirral", adding: "Those buildings will now have a purpose and of course we will hope the community supports us on this."