Youngsters Martha Clowes and Jessica Plumb were struck with the same inspiration when a Hoylake school was challenged to come up with a name for a new local development.

Five-year-old Maratha and Jessica, eight, both came up with "The Redshanks" as the name for a new housing scheme of 32 apartments to replace the former Hoose Court in the town.

Redshanks is also the name adopted by Trinity School Houses after the birds found along Hoylake foreshore.

Wirral’s mayor and mayoress Cllr and Mrs Gerry Ellis attended Holy Trinity CE Primary School at morning assembly to presented prizes to Martha and Jessica and to look at drawings of houses by children from other schools.

The apartments will be offered for affordable rent and tenants will be given the option of right to buy after an initial 12 month period of renting.

The apartments are expected to be completed by October 2013.

Patrick McCarthy, Wirral Partnership Homes deputy chief executive said: ‘We’d like to thank Martha and Jessica for thinking up the name The Redshanks. It’s an excellent name and we’re delighted that the new development will be associated with such a distinctive local bird that is long associated with Hoylake’s heritage.’

David Fawley, managing director of Fawleys Construction, the site’s main contractor said: ‘It has been great to involve the local school and community in naming the building.

"We really appreciate Martha and Jessica’s help and it will be wonderful for them to see the building occupied later this year, knowing that they chose its name’.