The plan for Bootle alone could see £100m on investment around the Leeds-Liverpool canal that would include offices, restaurants and hotels. Tony McDonough reports.
Bootle and Southport could undergo multi-million pound transformations over the next 15 years if ambitious redevelopment plans became reality.
Sefton Council has published two frameworks designed to stimulate investment in the towns and create employment,
The plan for Bootle alone could see £100m on investment around the Leeds-Liverpool canal that would include offices, restaurants and hotels.
Sefton Council commissioned commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton to develop the Bootle Town Centre Investment Framework, a document that will be the basis for discussions between the council, the local community, businesses and potential investors on the vision for Bootle in 2030.
The proposals look to harness Bootle’s current assets, including the canal, Bootle Strand, Hugh Baird College and its proximity to Liverpool city centre and the Port of Liverpool.
it has a particular focus on maximising the uniqueness of Bootle’s commercial quarter, the substantial area of office space around Trinity Road, and retail quarter, the area surrounding Bootle Stand and Stanley Road.
The Southport Development Framework, created by Nexus Planning supported by Broadway Malyan, looks to reconnect the beachfront with a revitalised Lord Street.
The proposals focus on major development opportunities along with complementary initiatives that will help strengthen existing assets and the visitor offer, encouraging discussion between the local community, business and potential investors.
It is hoped that any development of the town will create a more dynamic Southport, promoting opportunities for local communities, building on existing assets and, ultimately, stimulating economic investment and strengthening the role of Southport as a family friendly visitor destination.
Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: “Both reports are vitally important as a guide for future development in both Southport and Bootle.
“Firstly, they further demonstrate our commitment to aims of the Sefton 2030 Vision and the feedback we have received following the consultation and engagement process, specifically around jobs and an improved local economy.
“Bootle and Southport are two completely unique towns within our borough with their own strengths and opportunities.
“We have commissioned two separate frameworks in order to ensure that these two towns have the best opportunity to develop and reach their potential.”