Sefton’s Bootle Strand revamp set for £7.1m boost
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will vote next week on awarding a grant from its Strategic Investment Fund to get the long-awaited project off the ground.
The £7.1m grant would go towards enabling works and infrastructure for the £30m first phase of work on Sefton Council’s vision for the 1960s Bootle Strand shopping centre.
Sefton Council Leader Cllr Marion Atkinson described the potential grant award as “a vital step in delivering the ambitious vision we have for Bootle town centre.”
She added: “The Strand has been at the heart of our community for generations and these plans will ensure it continues to play that role for decades to come.”.
This first phase of the project includes the refurbishment of the former Marks & Spencer into a lifestyle destination with 7,700 sq ft of space for food and beverage operators; 5,300 sq ft for exhibitions; and 14,300 sq ft for community use.
Also on the agenda: creating Mons Square through a partial demolition of the shopping complex and improving the links to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the popular events venue Salt & Tar.
Demolition work is already underway, having started in June. It is due to complete in December, which will allow for main contractor Vinci to commence construction in spring 2026. If this timeline proceeds as planned, the first phase of the Strand redevelopment will complete in 2027.
The LCRCA grant would be used for post-demolition remedial works, relocating existing tenants at the shopping centre, installing new public toilets in the vicinity, refurbishing the retained area of the Strand, and conducting fit-outs for local independent traders in that refurbished space.
A re-envisioned Strand has been in the works since 2017. The project has secured £20m in capital funding from central government, with the local authority set to investing an additional £10m for its first phase.
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram explained why the combined authority is looking to support the project.
“This is about much more than bricks and mortar – it’s about giving Bootle the vibrant, thriving town centre the community deserves,” he said.
“By working with Sefton Council, we’re helping to unlock the Strand’s potential, attract new businesses and visitors, and create a place that local people can be proud of once again.”
The project team for the Strand scheme includes OPEN, Summers-Inman, WSP, and Avison Young. K2 Architects is leading on the design for the broader masterplan. You can view the first phase’s approved planning application by searching reference number DC/2024/01890 on Sefton Council’s planning portal.
