The former Sands pub in Ainsdale in Southport will be redeveloped for “hotel and leisure uses”. There will also be an option for the new owners to also transform the adjacent boating lake and the area around it.
The Sands pub sits on one of the North West’s most beautiful stretches of coastline, close to Ainsdale Beach.
After sitting vacant since the pub’s closure in 2017, the area is now due to be redeveloped after Sefton Council agreed Heads of Terms with GSL Developments Limited.
The firm says that the agreement means they can “now invest in the significant resources required to develop our designs, seek and secure planning approval, and to commence works at the earliest opportunity.”
Securing the investment and backing of a private investor will “help kickstart a wider programme of improvements” and realise Sefton’s ambitious Ainsdale-on-Sea Eco-Vision.
Sefton Council will secure funding through the sale of the land, with the amount due not publicly disclosed at this stage.
The Sands will be sold on a 250-year leasehold basis with a 5 year initial lease which will cover the planning, demolition and redevelopment stages.
On disposal, GSL Developments Limited will become responsible for costs such as the maintenance of the site and therefore this will represent a revenue saving to the local authority.
A Sefton Council report says: “The property forms an integral part to the delivery of a first phase of the Ainsdale on Sea Eco-Vision.
“The first phase of work, which includes the property amongst other vital initiatives, entails both direct action from the council’s perspective but also importantly harnesses the private sector in securing investment to help kickstart a wider programme of improvements to deliver the best possible approach overall to securing the Vision for Ainsdale on Sea.
“The property has prominence as a landmark on the Coastal Road and one of the principal access routes locally along the coast.
“The buildings themselves are in a state of considerable disrepair and present a particularly poor first impression of Coastal Gateway for visitors as well as for residents.
“A marketing exercise was carried out and an offer to purchase the property was made, which has progressed to Heads of Terms being provisionally agreed.
“The disposal of the property will be on a leasehold basis with a 5 year initial lease (the Building Lease) being entered into to cover the planning, demolition and redevelopment stages.
“Subject to the milestones set out in the agreed Heads of Terms being met, the vendor will grant to the purchaser a lease of the property (the Long Lease) for a term of 250 years.
“The proposed development broadly comprises redevelopment of the property for hotel and leisure uses, with an option arrangement relating to the adjacent lake land.
“The agreed structure provides the council with staged performance obligations linked to planning, commencement and completion of development prior to grant of the long lease.
“More explicitly full details of the development and end uses will be presented by the purchaser and agreed by the vendor prior to completion of the long lease.
“Delivery of a first phase of the Ainsdale on Sea Eco-Vision is a much anticipated progression of goals more widely recognised in maximising the opportunities linked to the Sefton Coast as a very significant asset of huge benefit to our communities and of value to further growing our visitor economy and all the benefits that brings.
“The proposed disposal supports the Council’s wider strategic objectives associated with the Ainsdale on Sea Eco-Vision.”
Approval has been given by the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills Cllr Paulette Lappin for the disposal of the site through a phased lease arrangement that will enable redevelopment proposals to come forward while ensuring agreed development milestones are achieved before a long-term lease is granted.
The Heads of Terms provide a framework for redevelopment of the site and represent an important milestone in bringing forward investment at one of the most prominent gateway locations on the Sefton Coast.
The former Sands pub, comprising the building and car park and the rest of the land, amounts to c.0.33 hectares (0.816 acres).
There is an option for GSL Developments Limited to also acquire an additional long lease, on terms to be agreed, for the adjacent boating lake and land amounting to 3.29 hectares (8.13 acres).
Councillor Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said:
“The former Sands site occupies one of the most prominent locations in Ainsdale and has long been recognised as a key opportunity for regeneration.
“Reaching agreement on Heads of Terms represents an important milestone in delivering the Ainsdale on Sea Eco-Vision and demonstrates our commitment to bringing forward investment that benefits residents, visitors and local businesses.
“This proposal will help address a long-standing vacant site while supporting our wider ambitions for sustainable growth, environmental enhancement and an improved visitor experience along the Sefton Coast.”
Tamyln Stone, Director of GSL Developments Limited, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Sefton Council to transform such a high profile building, and to deliver a first-class hospitality offer that aligns with the council’s ambitious vision for the Ainsdale Gateway.
“We can now invest in the significant resources required to develop our designs, seek and secure planning approval, and to commence works at the earliest opportunity.
“We share Sefton Council’s ambitions for Ainsdale and its future and are delighted to play a part in achieving them.”
The Ainsdale on Sea Eco-Vision, published in 2025, sets out a long-term framework for nature-led regeneration focused on making the most of the area’s unique coastal environment while supporting local businesses, communities and visitors.
The regeneration of the former Sands site represents one of the first major opportunities to deliver visible change and investment as part of that wider programme.
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