MORE MONEY FOR BOOTLE STRAND
In December 2023 we wrote about the ever-increasing sums being spent on the refurbishment and redevelopment of Bootle Strand and the impact this would have on Sefton residents due to the cost of borrowing.
On 4 th September 2025, Sefton’s Cabinet is being asked to approve a further £10m from Council sources, plus £7.935m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The detail of where this is to be spent and the results of a recent construction tender are contained in a separate Appendix to the Cabinet report, which unsurprisingly is not being made available to the public.
The Council appear not to have a finite budget for Bootle Strand, but history shows they have been repeatedly seeking Cabinet approval for piecemeal funding for various elements.
Let’s not forget the Strand was purchased in 2017 at a cost believed to be £32.5m and that the Council’s Leader in September 2021 reported the value had fallen to £14.24m.
On 21 June 2018, Cabinet authorised the borrowing of £3.115m for “general works to enhance the customer experience.”
On 22 June 2018 a further £307,000 was approved for urgent roof repairs above the T J Hughes Block, funded through borrowing.
In July 2019 the Council obtained £500,000 from the City Region’s Mayoral Town Centre Fund for the Bootle Canalside Project. In 2021/22 the City Region approved a further £1.8m from the Strategic Investment Fund for the Strand and Canalside Works.
Cabinet approved a Business Plan on 24 June 2021, and also approved £795,000 to be borrowed to maintain and improve the performance of the centre. In addition in 2021 the Council obtained £2.1m from the City Region to demolish the former Post Office and Easirent van hire premises to make way for the Salt and Tar site.
Demolition to create the Salt and Tar venue was estimated at £557,000 but in September 2023 the Cabinet Member for Regeneration authorised a further £300,000 from the Council’s Growth Budget.
On 7 December 2023, the Cabinet agreed to invest a further £45.1m into the Phase 1 works at Bootle Strand, as part of the Strand re-purposing programme after considering the case for proceeding with delivery of Phase 1 of the planned Bootle Strand Transformation Programme and the new five-year Business Plan for the fiscal years 2023/24 to 2027/28 for the Strand Shopping Centre.
Of the £45.1m the Cabinet was told they would use £20m from a grant to Sefton for the Strand, through the Conservative Government’s Levelling-up Fund and would seek the balance of £25.1m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The grant of £25.1 comprised £7.1m of enabling works to allow the centre to operate during Phase 1 works (A – C) and £18m for works associated with Block B for Phase 1 D.
Cabinet members were told in December 2023 that “the Council is ready to proceed with Phase 1 of the proposed Transformation Programme, utilising: (i) £20m funding for the first 3 elements of the project (Phase 1A-C), which has already been secured from DLUHC; and (ii) funding from the LCR CA for the final element (Phase 1D), pending finalisation of the designs for this last element as well as confirmation of the formal approval of the required funding by the LCR CA.”
There was no indication that further Council funding would be necessary and yet Cabinet are now being asked to approve a further £10m from Council sources, plus £7.935m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA). The Cabinet report does not disclose how this £10m of Council money is to be obtained but suggests it could be borrowed or that it could be taken from capital receipts.
In addition, LCR CA has already approved South Sefton Strategic Investment Fund of £2m capital, £1.4m of which will be allocated to areas of the Strand, including to assist in part with delivery of the permanent public realm improvements for the Salt and Tar event space that sits alongside the Strand Phase 1A-C main contract works.
However, as we have seen from our national Labour Government, the cost of borrowing does not come freely. There are interest charges to be paid on the loan.
The December 2023 Business Plan for Bootle Strand noted that: “Sefton-specific costs related to the Council’s head lease and the repayment of the Council’s PWLB borrowing for the original acquisition of The Strand, which reduces cashflow by c.£2.25m per annum.”
In addition and not surprisingly there has been a considerable loss of revenue from the Strand due to the disruption as a result of the construction works and the extent of vacant premises. The Business Plan presented on 7th December 2023 showed the predicted losses over the next 5 years as follows:
2023/24 = - £1,610,201
2024/25 = - £1,850,407
2025/26 = - £1,151,114
2026/27 = - £1,012,388
2027/28 = - £858,350
We should recognise that these revenue losses are impacting on the Council’s overall budget. Expenditure on maintaining the centre is not being met by rental income, as shown above. In addition the residents of Sefton are having to meet the interest costs for buying the Strand, totalling £2.5m each year.
The Council is acclaiming that the Salt and Tar venue is a major success and has attracted crowds to see various high-profile acts. We have not been told however whether this venue manages to meet its operating costs or whether it requires a subsidy from the Council budgets.
Our questions to Sefton Council are:
What is the total cost of retaining and remodelling Bootle Strand?
How much more needs to be spent on future phases?
When can we expect to see the income restored to profitability?
