A new private venture – Coastal WK – takes over the running of Wirral Watersports Centre in West Kirby from the council and is seeking a new restaurant operator for the site. Tony McDonough reports

A new venture called Coastal WK has secured a concession from Wirral Council to take over the running of Wirral Watersports Centre in West Kirby.

In June LBN revealed Wirral Council was seeking an external operator for the facility, which oversees watersports on West Kirby Marine Lake in efforts to secure its long-term future.

Cllr Jenny Johnson, chair of the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee said at the time: “We want to protect public access to watersports at West Kirby, and support the long-term future of the site.”

Now Coastal WK, led by directors Adam Crouch and Niall Ingham, has taken over the centre after securing a deal with the authority. The council retains ownership of the asset and responsibility for lake maintenance.

Coastal WK is taking on day-to-day operations, staffing and building maintenance. This model removes the need for an ongoing council subsidy and places the centre on a more sustainable footing.

Media outlet West Kirkby Now reports Adam, who also owns Northern Watersports in Wallasey and runs the Northern Kites School, and Niall have “outlined an ambitious vision” for the centre and the lake.

“West Kirby has one of the best stretches of water in the country, and it deserves a centre to match,” Adam told WKN. “We want this to be somewhere you come for the day, not just for an hour on the water.

“Whether you live five minutes away or you’ve driven up for the weekend, there’ll be something here for you.”

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Visitors to West Kirby will be aware of how busy the lake is with watersports enthusiasts, particularly at weekends. Actives on the water include sailing, kayaking and wing foil, through to swimming and kitesurfing.

New facilities will include a sauna and a restaurant and Northern Watersports will run a Foiling Demo and Rental Centre on site, offering wing, kite and pump-foil equipment. It will also sell clothing and accessories.

And Coastal WK is also seeing a new restaurant operator for the centre. This would be operated as a joint venture on a revenue-share basis, with no rent and no deposit.