Demolition approved to pave way for Bootle Strand transformation
Bulldozers will roll in early next year to raze around 15% of the 400,000 sq ft shopping centre, kickstarting its £20m transformation.
Sefton Council’s own plans to kickstart the regeneration of Bootle Strand have been given the go-ahead, six years after the authority acquired the shopping centre for £32.5m.
Proposals form the first phase of works aimed at revitalising the asset, which anchors a 20-year regeneration vision for Bootle.
Approved plans focus on the demolition of a large chunk of the southern portion of the 1960s-built complex.
The elements to be torn down have been identified due to the level of retail vacancy, low footfall, and ongoing maintenance issues. These elements include the Palatine, public house, covered canopies, and single-storey retail units.
Sefton Council has worked with Avison Young and K2 Architects to draw up its masterplan for Bootle Strand, which is being funded by £20m from the government’s Levelling Up Fund.
Later phases will introduce new leisure, education, and health services, as well as public spaces and routes between Stanley Road, Salt and Tar, and Washington Parade.
Cllr Ian Maher, Leader of Sefton Council, said: “By removing a small part of the existing building, we can make way for the revitalisation of the centre with attractive public spaces, which meets the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors.
“By broadening the use of space in the town centre, retail will continue to occupy the majority of the space, but we will also be introducing dedicated space for education, health and social care uses”, he continued.
“We will also be improving the leisure and hospitality opportunities, and developing further community, cultural, and creative spaces.
“Through our regeneration plans, we aim to create a flourishing town centre, which caters to the needs of Bootle and its community.”
Summers Inmann has prepared the demolition method, which will see the Strand remain open to the public.
To find out more about the plans, search for application number DC/2023/01735 on Sefton Council’s planning portal.
Its a start, but the Strand should be the focus of apartments up to eight storeys with two signature towers, ground floor retail/cafe/bars and some office and workshop space. This site needs to be as multi-functional as possible for its long term sustainability. Its an intercity local centre so needs to do more and help with the wider regeneration of Bootle/north Liverpool. Look to Elephant & Castle, Fish Island and Embassy Gardens to see how can be done well.
By GetItBuilt!
The £20 million Towns Fund money is very useful, but at £32.5 million, Sefton Council paid massively over the odds for the Strand, particularly given what mostly redundant shopping centres have been going for recently, and Sefton residents will be paying off the loan for years for what was supposed to be an investment.
Also need to see some coherent plan for what to do with the empty Triad next door – a really poor office to resi conversion like Daniel House down the road would really undermine things.
By Anonymous
Hope it’s not another white elephant.
By J Abram
Sefton council tinkering at the edges again, the Strand needed a complete overhaul and at least half of it should have gone. I hope I,m wrong but suspect the upgrade wil be a white elephant within 2 years.
By Anonymous
Knock it all down horrendous out dated and a haven for local feral youth and miscreants, like something off shameless! Being from the south of England shocked that these places still exist!
By Anonymous
What a waste of public money
By Anonymous
It is heart breaking to see the strand the way it is now,I some one who remembers the way this great shopping centre once was ,as they say things can only get better and it will take a great deal of work to get it as it once was let hope we get there
By John shanahan
Are they demolishing the front of the strand ,shame on Sefton council for not even not putting one Christmas light at the front of strand ,maybe you have live in Southport formby ainsdale or birkdale to get Christmas lights, once again Bootle gets left behind what a shame Sefton council ,don’t are children matter to you shame on you
By Sam halll
Birkenhead, St Helens and Bootle controlled by chimney sweeps, glass blowers and wheel tapper genius called Councillors. Once again displaying their economic prowess. Already the hard hit council tax payers have seen millions of pounds spent buying the exuasted shopping centres.
Now all these same ” dunces” are demolishing these town centres to spend more millions of council tax rebuilding with spaces for people to look at flowers and trees…?
Hurrah shouts the Duke of Westminster had his involvement in Liverpool One returns more millions of profit.
Send for the chimpanzee in Chester Zoo, they love tea parties.
By Anonymous
Maybe if the shop rental wasn’t too high there would be more retail shops in there but they keep upping the rent shops can’t afford it so they close they’ve essentially killed bootle strand by doing that with the rent
By Anonymous
About time it has a start date. So the maisonettes and the row of shops underneath are finally going. Then all the existing roofing over the walkways is being removed apart from the hexagon. It will be totally different once you can walk from stanley road right through the strand too Washington parade. The triad is going to be flats.
By Anonymous
Brilliant plan should have been done
years ago this will bring the Stand into the 21st century.
By M. Judge
So is the triad and high rises flats getting pulled down. And sort of things are being put in place as in roads closed or reopened.
By Beryl mealand
The strand has low footfall because the shops are not very good and the rental prices are high forcing people to have stalls in the walkways. The J.D is very poorley stocked compared to others. The other issue is its a poor area and the amount of alcoholics drug users etc. You see when walking around puts you off going, not to mention all the scooter deliveries outside the McDonald’s. I don’t feel this regeneration will have a positive effect as the open spaces will attract more of the drinkers & drug users in the area to congregate on those spaces also some of the spacers appear somewhat secluded leaving more opportunity for attacks to take place.
Just my opinion but I feel the money could be used better then this.
By Sharon