Historic Croxteth Hall and Country Park costs Liverpool City Council more than £1m a year to maintain and now it is asking the public for ideas to generate income. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool City Council is launching a public consultation on how it can generate more income from the historic Croxteth Hall and Country Park.
Located on the outskirts of the city, it costs more than £1m a year to maintain. A proposed deal with hotel operator Signature Living to transform the hall into a wedding and events venue was shelved in 2018.
In 2020 the council was forced to spend £650,000 on urgent repairs to the Elizabethan hall which was originally built in 1575. A Grade II-listed stately home, it was occupied by the aristocratic Molyneux family until 1972 when it became a visitor attraction.
It currently attracts around 600,000 visitors a year. Its estate covers 500 acres close to West Derby Village. The centre of the village also boasts an original Elizabethan courthouse.
With the city council now under severe economic pressure it is seeking commercial opportunities. These would raise money to help pay for the upkeep of the site.
Running until midnight on Monday, September 12, the consultation will ask about why and how often people visit the country park and which facilities they use. These include the car park, public toilets and cafe. It is also asking what is the appropriate charge for guided tours.
With ambitions to stage more large-scale events in the future, respondents will be asked their views on the creation of a new large, “environmentally friendly”. They are also being asked how they would feel if a parking charge was introduced for events.
The questionnaire will also look to gauge what sort of events visitors would like to see take place in the Hall and park. These could be markets and outdoor cinema showings through to festivals and a ride-along miniature railway offer. The park was previously home to a miniature railway.
An early scoping out project has also looked into the feasibility of introducing a pet crematorium. Those filling in the survey will be asked if this is a service they would use. A team from the Hall will also be out and about in the park to capture the views of as many people as possible.
The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. To take part click here. All contributions are anonymous. Findings will be released in early November.
Liverpool’s Assistant Mayor and cabinet member for culture and tourism, Cllr Harry Doyle, said: “With the level of cuts we are facing we can’t continue to do everything we want to do to ensure it meets the high standards we have come to expect over the years.
“We need to look at a different approach which is exactly what this survey hopes to achieve – we want to know what people would be willing to pay for and how we can breathe new life into this Liverpool gem.
Head of city assets, Angie Redhead, added: “The people of Liverpool are passionate about Croxteth Hall and Park. They have such an emotional connection with it. So many happy memories have been shared with us of childhood.
“But heritage assets such as Croxteth are notoriously expensive to maintain and the council has to find ways to generate income to help preserve and protect them so that future generations of families can continue to enjoy this gorgeous green space.”