Sefton Council is exploring opportunities to create a cultural and heritage facility within Bootle Town Hall complex of Grade II listed buildings.



In October 2016, Sefton Council published the Bootle Town Centre Investment Framework – a high level strategic document which looked to harness Bootle’s current assets and help reshape the town into a desirable residential, educational and business location.

Feedback gained from the Investment Framework highlighted Bootle Town Hall as a great regeneration opportunity with the desire for increased cultural activity a key theme.

Now a consultation and engagement exercise is set to start, looking at the potential to create a new cultural and heritage facility in the former Bootle Free Library and Museum within the town hall complex. Other civic functions within the town hall would still be maintained.

The consultation will run from October-December and a pop-up heritage centre looking potential options will also be in the Strand Shopping Centre during the school October half-term.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: “By transforming this historic building into a new home of arts and culture in the town, we believe this would be a major statement of the Council’s ambition for Bootle.

“Potentially this refreshed physical space will be supported by a learning and skills infrastructure, reaching out to the local community and developing materials that can be used in local schools, adult education centres and beyond.

“We believe this project will help ensure the town hall remains the civic focus of Bootle and also deliver a new cultural offer that will be sustainable and manageable over the long term.

“At the moment we are only exploring opportunities and want to gauge what local people think about this. Please take the time to look at the consultation and get involved and help shape the future of this wonderful grade II listed building.”

The consultation will go live later this month via sefton.gov.uk

A good opportunity to put Bootles Egyptian collection on display.

Originally Posted by Alikado

A good opportunity to put Bootles Egyptian collection on display.

And the rest...

Originally Posted by mike1979

And the rest...

Bootle, has very little history - once a village it attempted to become a Seaside resort even though it was located a mile from the mouth of the Mersey. In the 18th century, it became more industrial as businessmen moved from the highly polluted areas of Liverpool for the cleaner air. The area underwent vast building programmes as more people moved into the area. The docks received numerous regeneration projects. The docks are the mainstay of Bootle financially but they are responsible for high pollution in the area. The town hall was built in 1838, and is one of the finest buildings in the locality. Bootle does not lend itself to becoming a tourist environment because of its reliability on the Docks, the Railway Network in the area and its industry. Bootle is, in reality the outer part of Liverpool City and even if the area was raised to the ground and rebuilt completely - it will always be the back end of Liverpool. The shopping areas are used for the odd bits that people may need, but the majority of people travel ten minutes into Liverpool for a far greater variety of purchases. The regeneration of the area may make it more aesthetic to the working people there during the day - but will also become a vandals playground in the evenings. Councils should decide on what Bootle is meant to be - is it to become a lower grade tourist area or is it to attract more industry to the area? Is the town hall to be used for the local population for purposes in which no heritage exists? or is it to be used as a hub for business in the area?

Originally Posted by said

Bootle, has very little history - once a village it attempted to become a Seaside resort even though it was located a mile from the mouth of the Mersey. In the 18th century, it became more industrial as businessmen moved from the highly polluted areas of Liverpool for the cleaner air. The area underwent vast building programmes as more people moved into the area. The docks received numerous regeneration projects. The docks are the mainstay of Bootle financially but they are responsible for high pollution in the area. The town hall was built in 1838, and is one of the finest buildings in the locality. Bootle does not lend itself to becoming a tourist environment because of its reliability on the Docks, the Railway Network in the area and its industry. Bootle is, in reality the outer part of Liverpool City and even if the area was raised to the ground and rebuilt completely - it will always be the back end of Liverpool. The shopping areas are used for the odd bits that people may need, but the majority of people travel ten minutes into Liverpool for a far greater variety of purchases. The regeneration of the area may make it more aesthetic to the working people there during the day - but will also become a vandals playground in the evenings. Councils should decide on what Bootle is meant to be - is it to become a lower grade tourist area or is it to attract more industry to the area? Is the town hall to be used for the local population for purposes in which no heritage exists? or is it to be used as a hub for business in the area?

There are so many innacuracies in this post that I cannot be bothered to rectify them.

Originally Posted by mike1979

There are so many innacuracies in this post that I cannot be bothered to rectify them.

That's what happens when somebody with zero knowledge of Bootle's history cobbles together a reply taken from internet searches, probably Wiki. Absolute rubbish!