Latest news with #SeftonCouncil
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Brunch restaurant planned in historic Carnegie Library in Crosby
An historic Grade II-listed building in Merseyside is one step closer to reopening, more than 12 years after the doors were Library, on College Road, Crosby, has been vacant since being closed down by Sefton Council in 2013 as part of a "libraries review" and in an effort to save Thursday, Brunch chain Moose Coffee confirmed it had completed the next step in its bid to take over part of the library building, by submitting an application to sell alcohol on the premises every day between 09:00-23: submitted a planning application to Sefton Council in December 2022, stating, at the time, that it was "desperate to see the library returned to its former glory". The planning application, spearheaded by landlord Cunard Construction Ltd, said the work will include "minor internal alterations" to provide space to be used as an office, a co-working office with meeting space, and a family restaurant."Internal heritage features will be retained and restored where possible and will be used to inform interior design choices throughout the development," the application added that the hope is to bring the interior to "a modern contemporary quality" while highlighting the building's "historical nature", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Carnegie Library was opened in 1905, and is one of 2,509 libraries across the world built between 1883-1929 with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew was originally one of 660 Carnegie libraries in the UK and Ireland. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Royal Birkdale golf club expansion plans run into opposition
More than 1,100 people have signed a petition opposing plans to build a new practice area at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport ahead of next year's Open Championship.A Sefton Council report said the plans would change "part of the open land linked to what is commonly known as Birkdale Common to golf course use".Opponents said they wanted to guarantee public access to the common, except during major Council confirmed it had also received 89 letters objecting to the proposals on ecological, road safety and aesthetic grounds. The planning application was submitted by R&A Championships Limited which organises 21 tournaments – including next year's a new practice tee would involve landscaping work, erecting fences and the diversion of a public right of way report from Labour-run Sefton Council stated the development "complies with local and national policies and is recommended for approval".However, the residents' petition highlighted that Birkdale Common was "a well-used public park", and stressed the need for public access to be maintained. 'Fair and transparent' Sefton's Liberal Democrats called the plans "controversial", with the planning process "limiting opportunities for discussion".Opposition leader John Pugh said: "We certainly don't know why the promoters of the British Open Championship are insisting on a practice ground in Southport appreciably longer than the one provided for the Open at Portrush this year."It is difficult to understand why the practice tee at Royal Birkdale isn't good enough and only suitable for hospitality tents. Consultation dates and details have changed and the fencing is a real issue."Sefton Council's planning committee chairman Tom Spring insisted the planning process had been "completely fair and transparent." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘My nine-year-old daughter turned to me and asked 'how can they build on that''
Neighbours say they have been ignored by Sefton Council after they raised concerns about an access road to a new housing estate. Campaigners said they submitted a petition listing their objections including the potential impact on wildlife – it contained more than 200 hundred signatures. Sara Oakes moved into the area around Lynton Road, Hillside, more than three years ago and said the potential development of the vacant site has been rumoured for years. She said: 'It's been a very long, slow process but in regards to the current plans, the council seemed to push it through very quickly, especially when you consider the concerns raised at the planning committee in June.' LR Developments (NW) Ltd had submitted a proposal in 2022 to build 33 new homes on Lynton Road in Hillside Southport, which would include the demolition of No.34 Lynton Road to facilitate an access point to serve the development. However, approval was held up by Sefton Council's June 2025 planning committee after a number of concerns were raised. READ MORE: Bold new vision for 'forgotten and disconnected' part of Liverpool city centre READ MORE: 'I feel like I'm on a roundabout I can't get off' The new housing project was subject to a series of objections, including a petition signed by 195 local residents – and a representation by Hillside Golf Club – about the risks posed by 'errant' golf balls. The developer maintained that any potential risk is the golf club's responsibility. The terms of the planning application were initially heard at Bootle Town Hall on June 25 as councillors were asked to green-light the proposals, subject to conditions and the signing of a section 106 agreement. This included a commitment by the developer to contribute almost £300,000, including a £185,740 payment to mitigate the lack of affordable housing on the scheme. After the adjournment of this meeting, the application was heard again on July 23 and an updated council report was presented by planning officers which stated: 'The report submitted set out further information regarding the impact the development would have on the junction with Waterloo Road and the economic viability of the development. 'It also set out a number of further objections which had been received since the previous meeting, together with comments on the further objections. 'RESOLVED: That the recommendation be approved and the application be granted subject to the conditions and for the reasons stated or referred to in the report and in Late Representations and subject to the signing of a section 106 legal agreement.' Responding to a question about the process and the involvement of local resident, Sara said: 'We feel like we've been ignored. 'We've done two petitions with 200 signatures on both occasions, which should be indicative of the strength of feeling but it has come to nothing for now. We really would like to see a more robust, accessible and transparent process where local concerns are fully investigated. 'We've been left feeling quite frustrated, because we don't feel some of our concerns were dealt with very fairly. For one, there's the access road issue which the council didn't seem to want to discuss. 'No.34 will be torn down and the new proposed road will be on a blind bend and that the two exits onto Waterloo Road, Sandon Road and Ryder Crescent are impossible to get out of at rush hour. 'They're proposing a development of 33 houses. That's potentially 33 plus new cars thrown into the mix.' Specifically addressing the concerns raised about Waterloo Road, a technical report by SCP Transport Planning said no concerns have been raised by highways on either the access proposals or parking provision. Sara added: 'We have all this lovely wildlife surrounding us like bats and squirrels and foxes and deer, but none of this seems to be registering with the council." These sentiments are shared by Helen Jones, another concerned resident who is particularly worried about the implications for the local wildlife. She said: 'Even my nine-year-old daughter, Maisie turned to me and asked 'How can they build on that land when it's covered in trees and has so much wildlife?' Where will it go? Aren't there better places to build?' 'She's nine and can see that! 'There was a very healthy population of the protected common toad on the surveys and we know red squirrels use it all the time. We have video footage of the red squirrels and buzzards using the area. 'It would have been much better to turn it into a nature area using one of the many schemes available and continue the process of rewilding.' The ecological survey published on the Sefton Council planning portal said inspectors found no evidence of red squirrels or natterjack toads, but confirmed the site does support a good population of common lizard – with a maximum of 16 noted during one survey – and common toad. The team also identified the presence of a single red fox. A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: 'Sefton's Planning Committee considered this application, along with all comments received and concluded that the proposal is acceptable. 'As with all planning applications, the committee fully takes into consideration resident comments when reaching a decision and they are weighed up against technical evidence and other comments from statutory consultees. 'This includes concerns in regard to potential golf ball strikes and access arrangements.'
BBC News
04-08-2025
- General
- BBC News
New Bootle bins will help deter seagulls, council says
New bins are being introduced for residents in part of Merseyside in a bid to help deter seagulls and help keep streets free from thousand households in Bootle will see changes to their bin collections with weekly sack collections stopped and the introduction of wheelie waste collections will change to alternate weekly collections with separate bins provided for recycling later this month, a letter to residents has member for Sefton Council's cleansing and street scene department Peter Harvey said the move "will help combat gulls scavenging from sacks and reduce the risk of rubbish blowing around – making Bootle's streets cleaner." "We hope that improvement in waste containment in the area will also discourage people from fly-tipping," Mr Harvey said from mid-August households in the Derby ward, Bootle, will see the changes which "align with our standard model across Sefton".However, some residents raised on a local Facebook page, Michael Brennan said not everyone wanted wheelie bins."A lot of people like the idea of gull-proof sacks, which are used by other coastal towns up and down the UK," he Cato added: "Our house has no front garden or space to put a wheelie bin."Kate Sullivan wrote: "I've seen houses with wheelie bins still dumping black bags outside. If you have more rubbish than a bin can hold, the seagull problem isn't solved."The council said residents would be kept fully informed. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
04-08-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Formby homes plan approved for greenbelt land despite protests
Plans to demolish a former nightclub and build up to 23 homes on green belt land have been approved, despite hundreds of Council has given the go ahead for the development on the Shorrock's Hill nightclub site in Formby, Merseyside, which closed down in petitions and more than 800 letters of objection were lodged, with Formby Parish Council saying developing the site amounted to a "land-grab" and raising concerns about the lack of an appropriate housing officers said the benefits from the development "outweigh the harm arising from the loss of existing trees and the absence of a housing mix". The residents said green spaces next to the site, which was also known as Falcon's Crest in the 1980s, would be "destroyed".A protest in November last year also questioned the need for more development in Formby generally, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. The plot, off St Luke's Church Road, is owned by the Ascot were submitted to Sefton Council on their behalf by Baldwin Design Consultancy Limited, which said the site "has been designed to complement and respond to the surrounding area, create local identity and a cohesive sense of place".They said the scheme would provide "an essential contribution to the housing stock in the Sefton area as well as enhancing the local settlement".The application sought consent for a 100-space public car park with toilet council report noted that the local authority had received five petitions and more than 800 individual letters objecting to the also raised concerns about the "detrimental impacts on ecology, loss of amenity for existing Formby residents and insufficient infrastructure to support further housing development".The planning committee approved the application with conditions including a requirement for the developer to start work within the next three years. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
