Senior Sefton councillors approve plan to accelerate regeneration of Bootle town centre with new shops, leisure facilities and affordable homes. Tony McDonough reports
Sefton Council’s cabinet has approved the new Bootle Area Action Plan.
Shaped by input from the local community, Bootle Area Action Plan sets out the ambition and the planning framework to revitalise the town centre. The authority says it is a blueprint for making Bootle “a better place to live, work, and thrive”.
Regeneration of Bootle Strand, which is already under way backed by £20m of Government funding, is key to the plan along with the creation of spaces such as Salt & Tar at its heart. It will facilitate new shops, leisure facilities, services and cultural events.
And the plan will also make possible a programme of new modern, “affordable” homes for families and individuals. And by attracting businesses and funding, it will also create employment opportunities and boost the local economy.
In late December LBN published analysis which outlined the renewal taking place along the so-called Liverpool-Bootle corridor, with development such as Everton FC’s new stadium, the Atlantic Park logistics facility and plans for 10,000 new homes.
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. It is now the centre of a reshaping of the town centre.
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Phase one will see the refurbishment of the former M&S building, partial demolition to create the new Mons Square, and improved links to the Canalside area, home to the Salt & Tar music venue.
This new plan also contains a commitment to prioritising walking, cycling, and public transport prioritised making it easier to get around.
When the Cabinet papers were published in late December, Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said the plan would give “certainty” to developers and investors.
She added: “It will give them the confidence to bring projects to the town which will, in turn, mean growth and benefits such as new jobs, shops and services for local people.
“Jointly funded by Sefton Council and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, this Plan has been shaped through community consultation and feedback, and it has undergone rigorous examination by an independent planning inspector.”