​PIC: Children playing off Dungeon Lane in the 1960s.

Work has started to give an area of the Mersey Estuary in Hale, with Beatles heritage, a £50k facelift - including resurfacing work, vegetation clearance and interpretation boards.

When Paul McCartney, brother Mike and George Harrison lived in Speke. Paul and Mike would often visit the Oglet on their bikes and George played in the fields there when he was a boy.

The area used to be very popular with families who would come for a day out on the beach and needs a little 'Help!' to get it back to its former glory. So Halton Borough Council stepped in to 'Let It Be' improved

Halton Borough Council has started the project with 'A Little Help from (its) Friends' - A £49,731 grant given to it by WREN for the project, which was first announced last year

The Oglet is reached via Dungeon Lane, a busy port in the 17th century, and is adjacent to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, on the shore of the River Mersey.

The shore at the bottom of Dungeon Lane was in a a poor state of repair and there are drainage issues that over the years have caused damage to the shore line.

There are also problems with 4x4 vehicles that are badly damaging the pathways.

A scheme of works that are adddressing these issues includes:

• Investigations into drainage issues and work to correct this
• Repair and re-surfacing of pathways
• Vegetation clearance.
• Measures to deter the 4x4 vehicles access to the site
• Installation of benches along the walking route
• Interpretation boards detailing the area’s history and points of interest.

Hale resident Karl Atkinson, aged 39, of Carr Lane, said: "I take my dog for long walks along the coast and I am delighted that something is finally being made of this neglected treasure.

"This is a fantastic scheme which will make a vast improvement to an area that has deteriorated over the years.

"It now has the opportunity to once again become a place where people can enjoy the views across the Mersey and appreciate the historical importance of the site. The Beatles link only adds to its interest.

"We hope it will encourage people to make the most of our natural heritage here in Halton.”

Richard Smith, WREN Grant Manager said it was a popular and unique spot on the river Mersey with spectacular views and beach.

The project will significantly improve access for all and allow more people to visit the site as well as making it more visible from the adjoining Trans Pennine Trail.

It is hoped that this investment will help to regenerate the area, allow natural habitats, and species to thrive and attract walkers, bird watchers and families back to an area which was once such popular local beauty spot.

WREN is a not for profit business that awards grants to community projects from funds donated by FCC Environment to the Landfill Communities Fund

PIC: The site today