Contractor VINCI Building has completed demolition work on part of Bootle Strand clearing the way for the new Mons Square and Salt and Tar venue upgrades in a project costing tens of millions of pounds. Tony McDonough reports
Bootle has taken a major step forward towards a new town centre square as part of a regeneration project costing tens of millions of pounds.
Main contractor VINCI Building has completed the demolition of part of Bootle Strand shopping centre. Next steps will focus on preparing the site for a redesigned Mons Square and improvements to the Salt and Tar events space.
This project is benefiting from a £20m Government cash injection and in September 2025, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority approved a further £7m for the scheme.
In 2017 Sefton Council took out a loan to acquire the 400,000 sq ft 1960s Bootle Strand shopping mall for £32.5m from London-based retail investor Ellandi and Avenue Capital.
Since then it has kick-started the regeneration effort with the Bootle Canalside project. This initially led to the opening of the Salt and Tar events venue.
As part of the project more than 60 tonnes of steel and around five tonnes of timber have been recovered and recycled. Around 8,000 tonnes of brick and concrete were processed on site and reused as engineering fill, much of which will be retained for the next phase of construction.
The demolition phase at Bootle Strand has also helped boost local employment. Through VINCI Building’s partnership with Sefton@Work, eight full‑time roles have already been created for local residents, with further opportunities expected as construction progresses.
Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said: “This is an important step forward for Bootle.
“Quality public spaces and improved facilities that people have asked for, starting with a new Mons Square and better infrastructure for Salt and Tar. Thank you to residents, businesses and our project partners for their patience and support.”
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In the coming months, activity on site will focus on preparing for construction and detailed design work to deliver the new public realm and improved links around the town centre, including the refreshed Mons Square.
To help residents see the scale of the transformation, full timelapse footage of the demolition is available on the Sefton Council website.