A consultation that gives Sefton residents the opportunity to share their views on the planning application stage of the Bootle town centre transformation closes on Friday.

Sefton Council, in partnership with Counter Context, has already received valuable feedback during the consultation, which has been running since Thursday 29^th August. Residents and local businesses are invited to join in before it closes.

Planning stage

The consultation looks at the next steps for the transformation project, including accessibility within the Strand shopping centre, new designs for Mons Square and suggested uses for the former M&S building.

During the consultation period, a number of in-person drop-in sessions have taken place in the Strand and online, with a final session planned for Friday 20^th September from 10am to 3pm. People will be able to visit the information centre in the Strand, opposite Greggs, to learn more about the project and share their views with the team.

All feedback collected during this time will be used to shape the future of the shopping centre, with further consultations planned as the project progresses.

Have your say

Councillor Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said: “As always, consultation is a vital part of our planning, and we hope residents will take the opportunity to have their say,

“We’re entering an exciting period of transformation in Bootle. We want the changes to reflect the needs of residents, businesses and visitors, and to help us achieve our goal of making Bootle an attractive destination for all these groups.

“Working together has always had brilliant results, such as Salt and Tar, which has been a big success. I’m sure that we will get lots of valuable suggestions and I look forward to hearing what people have to say.

“I encourage everyone who lives in, works in or visits Bootle to get involved and let us know their thoughts.”

Next steps

Shortly after the consultation closes, hoardings will go up around the Strand in preparation for the next stage of development. Work will begin immediately to ensure the site is safe ahead of the demolition early next year. During this time, the Strand will remain open to the public and disruption will be kept to a minimum.

Sefton Council received £20 million of funding from central Government to move forward with its plans for the Strand shopping centre and the wider Bootle transformation.

For more information, visit www.sefton.gov.uk/BootleStrand. Any feedback can also be submitted to strandfuture@sefton.gov.uk.