Wirral Council is set to award a contract to Coastal WK to operate Wirral Watersports Centre and West Kirby Marine Lake. Tony McDonough reports
Wirral Council says the awarding of an external contract for the running of Wirral Watersports Centre and West Kirby Marine Lake is necessary to secure their long-term future.
An Officer Decision Notice, which is subject to a three-day call-in period, recommends appointing Coastal WK as the specialist external operator through a concession contract.
Wirral would retain ownership of the asset and responsibility for lake maintenance, while the new operator would take on day-to-day operations, staffing and building maintenance.
This model would remove the need for an ongoing council subsidy and place the centre on a more sustainable footing.
Public consultation helped shape the approach, with 439 responses received between 28 August 28 and October 23, 2025. Of those, 59.5% supported or strongly supported exploring an external operator.
Cllr Jenny Johnson,chair of the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee said, “This proposal is about securing the future of an important Wirral asset in a way that is realistic, sustainable and ambitious.
“We want to protect public access to watersports at West Kirby, support the long-term future of the site and make sure it is run in a way that works for residents and for the borough as a whole.
“he recommended model would allow us to keep the asset in public ownership while bringing in specialist expertise to grow the offer, reduce financial pressure and help unlock the site’s full potential.”
This facility is recognised as an important community facility, a destination in West Kirby, and key location in the North of England for wind-based watersports, including windsurfing, sailing and wingfoiling.
Operating the site as an RYA training centre, watersports would remain at its core, and be available through day passes, memberships, beginner to advanced lessons, training courses, children’s camps and organised activities.
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Core activities would include wingfoiling, parawing, pumpfoiling, sailing, windsurfing, paddleboarding and kayaking.
Director Adam Crouch added: “As Wirral residents, this project means a huge amount to us. West Kirby Marine Lake is one of the best watersports locations in the country, known internationally, and has been loved by generations of local people.”