Part of Bootle Strand Shopping Centre is due to be demolished as part of Sefton Council’s long-term plans to regenerate Bootle town centre.
Sefton Council, which bought the site for £32.5 million in 2017, has submitted a planning application to bulldoze 5,755m2 of the centre, which was built in 1968.
The areas will be removed due to “level of retail vacancy, low footfall and ongoing maintenance issues”.
The scheme on Stanley Road also involves associated highway works and making good the site for future redevelopment.
Earlier this week, Sefton Council’s redevelopment of Bootle Strand was recognised as an exceptional project at the Insider Liverpool City Region Property Awards.
Members of the team behind the project were presented with the Future Ambition Award for this transformative scheme which will see more leisure opportunities, new education and health services and additional green spaces in Bootle Town Centre.
Sefton Council is working alongside local firm K2 Architects and with Avison young to create the ambitious project.
On behalf of Sefton Council, Avison Young has now submitted a full planning application for the partial demolition of the Strand Shopping Centre, Bootle, and making good the site to allow for future development.
The application site forms part of the wider Strand Shopping Centre, which was purchased by Sefton Council for £32.5 million six years ago as a key part of its commitment to regenerating the town centre.
An artist’s impression of The Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle by K2 Architects
In its application, Avison Young said: “Working with the appointed team, Sefton Council has established The Strand Transformation Programme (TSTP), which is made up of 4 phases and is anticipated to be brought forward over the next 8 years.
“The TSTP recognises the complexity of the change required and the need to create the right foundations for long term resilience of the new town centre through early phase enabling development. This application is seeking consent for the demolition and making good of the site which comprises Phase 1 of the wider regeneration project.
“The Strand Shopping Centre was opened in 1968 and has not seen a major redevelopment since opening more than 50 years ago.
“Salt and Tar, a temporary events venue located south of the access road off Washington Parade has utilised the brownfield land in recent times to host a mix of events. This area of hardstanding is included in the site boundary for the redevelopment of the Strand.
“This application, the first phase of the Strand transformation, involves the partial demolition of the Strand to make way for future redevelopment. The scope includes the removal of a footprint area of approximately 5,755m2.
“Consideration of the future aspirations and current uses of the Strand has been undertaken and the following areas have been identified for demolition due to the level of retail vacancy, low footfall and ongoing maintenance issues
– Palatine block
– public house
– rear glazed covered canopies
– single storey retail units and internal circulation spaces and canopies over to the east of Mons Square
“It is also noted that the existing Palatine block creates a physical barrier running east to west that disconnects the shopping centre from the canal and as such its removal will increase connectivity through the site.
“The proposed demolition works will require the closure of the southern service road and the alteration and re-designation of the remaining road under the Strand and along Vermont Way into a 2-way road.
“The strategy for the southern delivery road (adopted highway) and entrance to the service yard will remain operational during demolition, until such time as all road closures have been approved and a new in/out system (2-way road) proposed to the existing exit to Vermont Way at the north becomes operational.
“The single storey retail units and internal circulation spaces and canopies over to the east of Mons Square (towards Stanley Road) will also be demolished to create the new ‘town square’ with several facades fronting the new spaces needing either temporary or permanent new facades.
“The demolition as proposed will facilitate the redevelopment of the site for retail and related purposes, in a defined town centre area with well-established retail and related town centre uses.
“The demolition would facilitate the long-term retail function of this well-established retail town centre.”
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