PLANS for a £10m development of West Kirby seafront including a new sailing school and boutique hotel may be revised after public objections.

The developers behind the ambitious scheme refute claims they have ignored criticism from local councillors and some members of the public and are instead looking at ways to incorporate them.

A meeting of the West Wirral Community Forum last week, which saw attendees vote against the current plans, led Conservative councillor Gerry Ellis to say he felt the scheme - part of a Wirral Council masterplan to rejuvenate the resort - was “doomed to failure”.

He told the Globe: “I am very disappointed in the failure of the developer to engage in meaningful consultation with councillors and the public. The council gave them a whole year in which to consult and come up with a detailed plan - this period expires in the first week of January and they are totally failing to achieve their objective.”

But in a meeting with the Globe, Alan Beer, of developers Carpenter Investments, said: “'When asked whether the consultation had been a good opportunity for them to comment, the people of West Kirby delivered a huge vote of confidence in it.

“A compelling majority of 59.3% of them said that it had been a good opportunity, compared to only 22.7% who said it had not, with 18% unsure. This vote of confidence was repeated throughout all groups of opinion, even among those who are not broadly supportive of the scheme. The message on the consultation is clear - people liked it.

“We issued 7000 invitations, met with over 1000 local people and provided every single one with the chance to comment to the developer or a representative from the council. When was the last time a proposal in West Kirby offered a forum like that?

“This means The Sail is a living issue for the people of West Kirby and not the dead one its opposition would have you believe.

“Consultation is not just about listening to the small minority who are implacably opposed to change. It means listening to supporters and the undecided as well.

“We have listened to people and, as a result, we are in the process of making significant changes to our proposals.

“If that doesn't constitute full and genuine public consultation, then I don't know what does.”