Sefton Council has submitted plans for a a multi-purpose open air venue that will sit alongside the waters of the Leeds Liverpool Canal to open this summer. Tony McDonough reports
Plans for a new £1.65m hospitality and entertainments venue on the canalside in Bootle have been submitted for planning approval.
Sefton Council is behind the project that will create a multi-purpose open air venue that will sit alongside the waters of the Leeds Liverpool Canal. This will include a food and drink offer, new events spaces and an urban garden.
The work will improve the environment and open up the canal for use as part of the Canalside project, with the aim of bringing new activity to the under-used land as the long term regeneration of Bootle develops.
The council hopes the scheme will stimulate the local economy, transform the look and feel of the town for residents, businesses and visitors and improve the quality of life for the community.
If the planning application is approved, the space looks set to host an calendar of events which would include a food and drink festival in the summer and Christmas Markets in December with a more detailed events programme to be published for future years.
The work, which is funded with £1.65m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, is the first part of Sefton Council’s plans to invest in the improvement of the Bootle New Strand Shopping Centre.
£370,000 of the total funding is from the Local Growth Fund, which is awarded to the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and invested through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund.
Ian Maher, leader of Sefton Council said: “The plans for Bootle Canalside will transform the space in the interim; creating a multipurpose events space to kickstart the regeneration of Bootle Town Centre.
“Bootle Canalside offers a fantastic opportunity for growth and recovery for one of our hardest hit communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am thrilled to see that the plans make full use of our natural landscape alongside the canal and will incorporate an urban garden and community space.
“It is great to see a regeneration project like this one, with local businesses, the local community and economic recovery at its heart.”
The proposals form part of wider regeneration and transformation plans Sefton Council has for Bootle including Bootle Area Action Plan and the recently announced government Levelling Up Fund bidding round, which Sefton are exploring to help deliver Sefton’s economic recovery plans.
The planning application can be viewed online on the website and residents are encouraged to take a look at the plans for further details.