Calls have been made to investigate “a future welfare-led use of the Botanic Gardens Aviary” in a bid to save it.
Sefton Council announced this summer that the facility is due to close next year due to animal welfare concerns, with the 180 birds there due to be rehomed.
At the full Sefton Council meeting at Bootle Town Hall next Thursday (17th September 2026), Southport councillor Daniel Lewis will ask for “irreversible steps towards closure” to be paused while alternative solutions are looked into.
Cllr Lewis would like Sefton to invite expressions of interest from suitably qualified charities, sanctuaries, educational organisations, community groups, social enterprises and other potential partners for a future welfare-led use of the site.
He would also like to see an independent assessment by suitably qualified avian veterinary and animal-welfare professionals covering: the birds’ welfare needs; whether the existing site can be adapted to modern welfare standards; required improvements, staffing and professional support; capital and ongoing costs; and relevant legal, licensing, insurance and biosecurity requirements.
He says that “significant concern has been expressed by residents, volunteers and community organisations about both the proposed closure and how the decision was communicated.
“Green Sefton staff and volunteers have cared for the birds with dedication and should not be held responsible for the age or condition of the aviary.”
In July, Sefton Council cited animal welfare, ageing infrastructure, financial sustainability and the suitability of the existing facility as reasons for closure.
They said: “Nobody is calling into question the care and kindness shown by staff and volunteers to these birds over the decades but the fact remains this facility is simply no longer in the best interests of the animals who are kept there.
“I have seen numerous comments from people telling us that this decision has nothing to do with animal welfare. Experts do not share that same view.”
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