To celebrate the 35th anniversary of legendary Bootle club Sefton’s Library service is hosting an exhibition alongside Quadrant’s Salt & Tar reunion party in Bootle for the first time since the venue closed Remembering the years of the UK’s first legal all-night rave Queue Up And Dance drops on Friday 24th May alongside the first since the venue closed It will then be open for the rest of the summer Sefton Council’s Libraries Service has worked with Rule of Threes Arts and artists Dave Evans and Melissa Kains Queue Up And Dance celebrate the legacy Quadrant and the vital role it played in cultural history Those who went to Quadrant Park back in its heyday and young people living in Bootle today have been invited to develop an archive of photographs There have also been digital music production workshops with young people and interviews with those who donated to the archive over the past year been taking part in music production and DJ skills workshops with Scrapyard Studios CIC and Melissa Kains producer and founder of female and non-binary DJ collective Sisu Crew Visitors to Queue Up And Dance can listen to the music made in these workshops performed live by some of the young people There will also be screen printing with Rhonda Davies of Liverpool Community Print Station CIC making t-shirts and other exclusive merch Queue Up And Dance brings together displays of archival material and a timeline of how the style graphic design and music developed in Quadrant Park’s short lifespan It builds on conversations between Dave and the original Quadrant Park DJs and the vibrant and active online Quadrant Park Reunions community on Facebook Visitors are invited to find themselves in the crowd in the photographs learn about this explosive moment in the development of club culture and celebrate the memories drawing together the archival materials and interviews Original QUAD DJs John Kelly and Andy Carroll will be playing alongside special guests for the reunion party on Saturday 24th May as part of the as part of the Salt and Tar Bank Holiday Weekend Special You can use this link to buy tickets You can find out more about the Salt and Tar and the Fringe festival, which takes place from Friday 23rd to Monday 26th May 2025, at www.saltandtarbootle.com Queue Up And Dance has been funded by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grant programme It is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage fund You must be logged in to post a comment Subscribe Now for Real-time Updates on the Latest Stories Created by Digital Media Guys The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page 75 percent of the colocation facility has already been leased Liverpool City Region Data Centres (LCRDC) has launched a colocation facility in Bootle outside of Liverpool in the United Kingdom Announced in a recent LinkedIn post the company said it has sold almost 75 percent of the space already Specifications of the facility have not yet been provided though the company said it is powered by renewable energy The company specializes in cloud repatriation services allowing customers to create their own private clouds The company also plans to have Sefton’s first Internet exchange facility live within the Bootle data center in the coming weeks LCRDC is planning three more data centers in the next two years The company currently has five other facilities operational across Liverpool and Manchester Its first data center was built in Southport Since then, the company said it has formed a “Baltic Triangle” between Liverpool City, Knowsley, Wirral, and the surrounding areas. The company launched a micro data center Edge location in Merseyside in July last year Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia There is a backlog of lorries on Regent Road in Bootle due to the fire This video shows the extent of how many HGVs are waiting There's reportedly a six hour wait and half a mile of queues apparently Lorries facing 'six hour queues' after docks fire One said: “We’re just waiting to get in They’ve told us it could be hours and no one is allowed in at the minute." A spokesperson said: Crews were alerted at 6.59am and on scene at 7.05am with four fire engines and the high volume pump attending This is a large pile of scrap metal well alight measuring approximately 40 metres by 30 meters A crane is in operation to remove combustible material from the pile with the onsite plant machinery creating a fire break Firefighters used on site main jets fed by a water tank while hydrants were established The MFRS operational drone has been requested to assist at scene this incident was sectorised with firefighters utilising two main jets in sector one and one main jet in sector four to fight the fire A multiagency meeting has taken place and firefighters are working hard to contain and extinguish the fire These lorries are backed up on Regent Road in Bootle They have reportedly been told there is a six hour wait due to the fire 28 APR 2025BookmarkVideo LoadingVideo UnavailableClick to playTap to playThe video will auto-play soon8CancelPlay nowA fire has broken out near the docks Huge plumes of smoke could be seen coming from a site near Alexandra Docks in Bootle this morning Pictures of the scene show the plumes of smoke reaching the sky with people describing it smell of "petrol" A reporter is heading to the scene to bring the latest updates and emergency services have been contacted for a statement Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by signing up to our daily and breaking newsletter. Sign up to our breaking news newsletter here Follow us on X @LivECHONews - the official Liverpool ECHO Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook/theliverpoolecho - your must-see news videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO People have been told to avoid the area after a scrap metal fire broke out. Emergency services were called to Regent Road in Bootle at around 7am on Monday When firefighters arrived at the scene they found a large pile of scrap metal on fire Four fire engines were sent to the scene and a crane was in operation to remove combustible material from the pile READ THE FULL STORY HERE. Lorries facing 'six hour queues' after docks fire Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service has said the incident was ongoing and to avoid the area ECHO reporter Conaill Corner said: "Smoke continues to fill the air of Bootle while the smell of burnt metal is lingering Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the fire involved a large pile of scrap metal An EMR employee who can’t get into work said: “It could take six hours this Another worker near the docks said: “Sometimes these things go on for days It could be a while [before it’s over].” Reporter Conaill Corner is now at the scene He said there's at least four fire engines and multiple police cars The fire not yet extinguished and traffic is being diverted away from the south entrance to the docks (Regent Road) Plumes of smoke can be seen across the city and the region One photo was taken from L8 and another from Great Altcar One eywitness descrobed the fire as "massive" This picture was taken by an eyewitness this morning Another person described the fire as "massive" A fire has broken out near Alexandra Docks in Bootle this morning People are reporting seeing plumes of smoke across the city We will be bringing you the latest updates here Sign our campaign for a grant funding review Sefton Council wants to increase footfall to the area Consent granted yesterday allows the first stage of a wider plan to improve footfall at the shopping centre to proceed by reworking an M&S store into an F&B destination Phase 1 A-C of the project concerns the refurbishment of Bootle’s M&S and the link of the canalside area which already hosts an operational outdoor venue called Salt & Tar The reworked former M&S store will feature 7,700 sq ft of F&B space The canalside public realm will be enhanced by repurposing a 3,700 sq ft lower ground floor unit to provide an active frontage to the waterside demolition work will reconnect the Strand with Stanley Road Designs have been drawn up by landscape architect OPEN and Summers-Inman Avison Young worked as the planning agent for the scheme The consented phase is only the first of four phases concerning the wider £20m overhaul of Bootle Strand Sefton Council acquired the Strand in Bootle in 2017 after a £32.5m purchase use the reference number DC/2024/01890 on Sefton Council’s planning portal Read our comments policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" I hope there will be access for disabled users esculaters that work and not a lot of steps to clime please Bootle has sadly been neglected for many many years has all of the funding previously gone to Southport? They are talking about Southport needing a new pier Let’s wait and see what happens in the future Why is Sefton council pouring good money in a money draining project when they let southport pier rot I’ve been talking about doing Bootle Strand up for years and years and years I can’t see it ever happening Absolutely fantastic news for a deprived area It’s wonderful to see all the hard work and yards put in by all concerned from the Bootle community and Sefton Council With the new Bramley – Moore complex nearing completion this will only attract more business and much needed jobs and revenue So pleasing to read “Good News” Bootle strand needs to be a decent shopping centre like it used to be opening more and new shops What a waste of council money could have been spent better M-S could have been turned into an indoor market Also should have been a complete reshaping of strand but people I believe couldn’t have thee say This area was once a busy shopping centre .Bootle has been left to go rot .Southport always gets looked after The gardens and parks get done ,they have lots of bins so rubbish not being left on the streets .Bootle parks are mainly looked after by volunteers Maybe once Strand is done Bootle will be once again a thriving community Having rejected Peloton Real Estate’s proposals for open storage at Blackburne Street in April Liverpool City Council’s planning committee will be asked to set out its position ahead of any subsequent appeal Developer BXB has selected the Warrington-based firm to prepare the ground for a link road aimed at unlocking the Cowley Hill residential 104-acre site in St Helens Liverpool City Region’s largest brownfield site Register for free North West property intelligence Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Reshaped retail/F&B units will face onto Mons Square The first stage of the long-awaited transformation of the town’s Strand shopping centre heads to planning committee next week Included in this first phase application is public realm south of the shopping centre and the reworking of the former M&S store into F&B and community spaces with the design team stating the aim of phase one as creating immediate impact and changing perceptions Sefton Council bought the Strand as far back as 2017 and the road to stacking up the necessary funding support has been a long and complex one The local authority’s cabinet signed off on a masterplan for the Strand Transformation project in 2020 with architect K2 and planner Avison Young leading The professional team also includes landscape architect OPEN and WSP advising on a number of areas including transport Going before Sefton’s planning committee on 15 January is Phase 1 A-C of the project covering the creation of a new town square the refurbishment of the former M&S store (referred to as Block A) and creation of the Canalside element and interface with the already operational Salt & Tar outdoor venue The phase will include some removal and demolition work to reconnect the Strand to Stanley Road and link up with the Leeds & Liverpool Canal The application site is located to the southern part of The Strand: to its west is Strand House The canal forms the southern boundary and to the north the majority of the shopping centre the six retail/F&B units lined up for the ex-M&S store will amount to a combined 7,671 sq ft with 14,289 sq ft allocated for community/third sector space and 5,326 sq ft of cultural/exhibition space A 3,658 sq ft lower ground floor unit will be repurposed to give an active frontage close to the canal/Sat & Tar interface a distinctive feature of the 1960s-built centre The public realm areas are key to laying the foundation for phases to follow and building up footfall and different areas of focus are set out in K2’s design & access statement which will be integrated with Salt & Tar there will be a ‘dramatically increased’ civic space for Bootle in Mons Square This will be linked to Canalside by the cascading Terrace Gardens Demolition works at the complex were signed off last year On completion and submission of the 2020 masterplan Housing & Communities signed off £20m to support the project while Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is also providing support This is intended as the first of four phases in the overhaul of the shopping centre and its surrounds with no objections coming from statutory consultees or residents Documents relating to the project can be viewed on Sefton Council’s planning portal with the reference DC/2024/01890 wouldn’t it make sense to build flats above those units who is spend money locally and help to meet housing targets The council should be using successful regeneration projects to base this on such as Elephant Park Nice big multi-disciplinary consultant with a much bigger Manchester office than in Liverpool taking the local coin to work on a local authority project Hats off to whoever came up with that idea Atherton Collieries return to the Dreams2Reality Stadium to face Bootle on Saturday with the chance to officially confirm their place in next season’s Northern Premier League Division One West.  The Colls claimed a solid point on the road against promotion-chasing Vauxhall Motors last time out with that goalless draw extending their current unbeaten streak to five matches it’s now just one defeat in their last ten for Michael Clegg’s men; a run of late-season form that has seen them spring significantly clear of the division’s relegation zone And this weekend marks the first opportunity to put any related fears conclusively to rest with a home win and anything less for Wythenshawe Town against Stalybridge Celtic extending that gap to a double-digit margin that would be insurmountable with just three further games remaining in the campaign Looking to delay that decisive milestone will be a Bootle side themselves not entirely clear of danger with their overall record of 48 points from 38 games played (amassed via 14 wins six draws and 18 defeats) placing them 16th ahead of this latest round of fixtures The Bucks have largely been drawn into that battle due to a poor run of recent form with their only victory in their last seven games coming against the already-relegated City of Liverpool.  That sits in stark contrast to the Stripes’ recent successes though it was Saturday’s visitors who emerged victorious in the reverse running of this fixture picking up a 2-0 win all the way back in August Much has changed in the intervening months and with Colls having the chance to clinch survival with time to spare it would be great to see a bumper home crowd backing the lads as they look to secure three particularly meaningful points And for those who are planning on attending Saturday’s game entry will be available via our cash and card turnstiles Accompanied Under 11s/1916 Club members: Free Atherton Collieries are pleased to confirm our participation and support for the 2025 ‘March of the Day’ Grassroots Football Tour Atherton Collieries will look to sign off the 2024/25 season in style on Saturday when they travel to face Witton Albion in their final outing The Stripes put in a tremendous last thirty minute stint to deservedly take a share of the spoils Saturday 22nd February sees another clash of two in form teams when Hednesford Town travel the 87 miles to Bootle for a Northern Premier League West game Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Stafford Rangers moved Bootle to joint top of the current form table alongside league leaders Widnes with 13 points from their last six league games while Hednesford are in fifth place with just one point less a 3-4 reversal at Congleton while in the same timespan Hednesford are undefeated with five wins and five draws Bootle’s home and away form is quite similar two draws and seven defeats while at home they have gained 21 points from six wins The defeats have come at the hands of Vauxhall Motors (3-6) This leaves them in 11th place in the league table with 44 points from 31 games The Bucks’ leading scorer is Ben Hodkinson with nine league goals plus two in the FA Trophy Former Pitman Sean Williams is second on the list with six (five league and one FA Cup) while Connor Harwood and Kenzie O’Neil both have five one of Hodkinson’s and two of O’Neil’s goals coming at Keys Park in December when Bootle won 4-2 Last season it was honours even between the two sides A Joe Morley hat-trick gave Hednesford a 3-1 win at Bootle in November 2023 while Bootle recorded a 1-0 last day of the season win at Hednesford to confirm their presence in the play-offs With the exception of Rob Stevenson and Omar Holness manager Gavin Hurren expects to have a full squad to select from although Jacob Gwilt faces a late fitness test Bootle play at the 2,000 capacity Berry Street Garage Stadium Their average attendance this season is 408 the highest being 662 against Mossley on 30th November £3 under 16s with under 12s free if accompanied by a paying adult Tickets can also be bought on-line via the Bootle website with a booking fee of £1 per adult ticket The printed matchday programme costs £2.50 A day later on Sunday 23rd February Hednesford Town Ladies are also on the road to Eccleshall for a Division One North league game Eccleshall play at Pershall Park ST21 6NE and kick off will be at 2pm Become a member of our online community and get tickets to upcoming matches or sports events faster Website by Zephi Sefton Council’s planning committee has approved the first of four phases in £20m regeneration plans for the Strand shopping centre at this week’s (January 15) meeting The proposals were recommended for approval by planning officers and will be supported by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and £20m of government funding green spaces and community areas as well as an improved connection between the shopping centre the Salt and Tar site to the rear and the canalside and a new thanks to the glass roof covering part of the area changes to the former M&S building will see it repurposed into six individual units and a community space The plans also envisage the site being fully accessible by wheelchairs and pushchairs and easy to use by people with impaired mobility The council submitted a planning application for the next stage of work in the transformation of Bootle town centre at the end of last October The first phase or redevelopment is set for completion by March 2026 The plans were shaped by responses to consultation from people who live in They also included ways to reduce carbon use as much as possible and detail sustainability targets in line with Sefton Council’s Net Zero ambitions hoardings went up inside the centre to allow for preparatory work to take place ahead of this year’s partial demolition The Strand will remain open to the public during all works and disruption to the public will be kept to a minimum Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration said: “Approval of our ambitious and exciting plans for the Strand are an exciting next step in the regeneration of Bootle town centre “We consulted local people on our plans and the overwhelming majority of those who responded were in support so I am sure they will be pleased we can move ahead to the next stage of the development.” Cllr Lappin added: “We realise the importance of the Strand to the people who use it and the businesses based there which is the reason for our refurbishment programme “That’s why our aim is to minimise disruption to businesses and customers while the work takes place.” The application has been progressed by Avison Young NewRiver REIT and WSP working alongside Vinci Building UK Watch a fly-through of the proposed redevelopment here. 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Lee Bootle was on a yacht in the Mediterranean when he was told his hedge has been hacked down A multi-millionaire businessman who came home from holiday to find developers had hacked down trees and hedges, leaving him staring at a busy A-road from his ten-acre country home, has won a High Court fight Auto repair king Lee Bootle said he was shocked to learn that builders erecting a £100m business park next to his home had torn up hedges and trees along a 120m stretch of his land ruining countryside views and leaving his home visible from the nearby A674 Mr Bootle, 54, had bought a former farm, in Whittle-le-Woods, near Chorley before knocking the farmhouse down and building a high-end detached five-bed family home But work later began on the new Botany Business Park development on land next door touring the Balearic islands on a yacht with his family he received a phone call from his housekeeper informing him that greenery screening him from passing traffic and maintaining the family's countryside view had been ripped out by workers making preparations for the business park claiming damages for trespass in their hacking down of his trees and bushes along the boundary A judge has now ruled he is entitled to compensation, which his lawyers say should amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds. The court heard Mr Bootle, who runs the multi-million pound James Group auto repair company, bought Little Knowley Farm, comprising a farm house with outbuildings and 10 acres of adjoining farmland, in 2007. He then obtained planning permission, demolishing the existing house and building a five-bed family home, surrounded by landscaped walled gardens, for himself, his wife Rebecca and three children. The adjoining land was bought by developers GHL Property Management and Development Ltd in 2018. After initially planning a 233-home site the company obtained permission for a £100m development for commercial, industrial, storage and distribution use, with FI Real Estate Management Ltd, doing the work. The development land and Mr Bootle's property were separated by a ditch and brook outside of the walls of his garden, with bushes, trees and fences on both sides of the watercourse. "In anticipation of planning permission, GHL or its contractors commenced clearance work on 29 April 2024 or thereabouts," the judge outlined in his judgment. "This happened when Mr Bootle was away on business. However, on his return the following day, Mr Bootle advised workmen on site that they had cut down and removed trees on his land. “He advised them that the boundary was the fence and hedge to the south of the brook, not the palisade fence on his land to the north." In his evidence, Mr Booth said that, after further trees were chopped down, he arranged a meeting with representatives of the developers who accepted that trees had been cut down and that no further work on his side of the boundary was necessary. He then went off on holiday, touring the Balearic Islands by yacht with his family. But Mr Bootle's housekeeper gave evidence to the court of her "disquiet" when she had to call him while he was away after realising more greenery had been ripped out and that the previously screened house was now visible from the busy A674 Millennium Way. Although he did not award damages for the loss of privacy, Judge Mark Halliwell said the developers had committed "substantial acts of trespass," which had resulted in "a substantial number of trees and bushes" removed from Mr Bootle's side of the boundary. The judge said: "On 31 July, Ms Laura Francis, the Bootles' housekeeper was disquieted to see that their house could now be viewed from Millennium Way. "She contacted Mr and Mrs Bootle, who were on holiday abroad. They promptly asked her to take photographs and video film in relation to the progress of the works." The case went to court with Mr Bootle claiming in his evidence that the boundary between the two plots of land was the brook and ditch. He claimed that, in doing work on the north side of the brook, the developers had strayed onto his land and hacked away mature trees belonging to him. Giving judgment, Judge Halliwell found that the true boundary is to the north side of the brook and that the ditch and watercourse are on the developers' land. But in doing their work, they had repeatedly crossed over the boundary and onto Mr Bootle's land, removing substantial amounts of bush and trees belonging to him, he found. "The established boundary is north of the ditch and, from Mr Bootle's perspective, it falls short of the position he has sought to advance in these proceedings," he said."To the extent that the defendants have carried out works flattening land to the south of the ditch, building an embankment and culverting parts of the ditch itself, they have not encroached on Little Knowley Farm. "However, during the course of their works, the defendants have repeatedly entered Little Knowley Farm without Mr Bootle's consent and committed acts of trespass on his property. "This includes removing substantial amounts of the vegetation and cutting down bushes and trees north of the boundary. Such works commenced in late April 2024. There were further acts of trespass in June, July and August 2024. "The defendants' acts of trespass involved removing vegetation from Little Knowley Farm for the full length of the established boundary. "It is likely to have included a substantial number of trees and bushes – significantly more than three trees - liberally spread north of the established boundary. "Mr Bootle is prima facie entitled to damages for the recovery of his attendant losses and, in the absence of agreement, his losses will have to be assessed at a further hearing." Of Mr Bootle's housekeeper's account of the house now being visible from the nearby Millennium Way, the judge said he had visited the site and found the house was visible from the road. Mr Bootle's house had been built to take advantage of views to the south and west - in the direction of the A-road and the development land - and it had previously been screened by trees. But the judge said damages could not be awarded for the loss of that screening. "Mr Bootle's cause of action is limited to acts of trespass on his land," he said. "Clearance works on neighbouring or adjoining land, including land screening Mr Bootle's house from Millennium Way, is not actionable in itself. "From Ms Francis' evidence, it is not possible to show that Mr Bootle's house ceased to be screened from the highway owing to acts of trespass on the part of the defendants." Earlier in the case, Mr Bootle had obtained an interim injunction stopping the developers working on land extending to a line just south of the ditch and brook, which at that point he was claiming was the boundary. The judge said that, because he had found the boundary lay on Mr Bootle's side of the brook, the developers had been temporarily stopped from working on land which they owned and would therefore be entitled to damages from Mr Bootle for the halting of work for about three weeks last summer However, he also made a new injunction, banning the developers from trespassing over the now decided boundary onto Mr Bootle's land in the future. "Whilst I have determined that the established boundary is north of the ditch, the defendants have repeatedly trespassed north of the established boundary during the course of the development project and, in doing so, shown a casual disregard for the true line of the boundary," he said. "It can reasonably be surmised that they will continue to do so unless restrained by injunction." He is claiming damages running into several hundred thousand pounds, with the case set to return to court at a later date for a ruling on exactly how much he will receive. However, he will also be liable to pay some compensation to the developers for about three weeks of lost work time on the development while the case was ongoing last year. A further hearing will take place to decide the amounts in damages due, as well as who pays the substantial costs of the case. govt and politics"},{"score":0.730118,"label":"/society/crime/personal offense"},{"score":0.699265,"label":"/business and industrial/business operations/business plans"},{"score":0.684225,"label":"/society/crime/personal offense/assault"},{"score":0.65605,"label":"/law has moved to a new location with seven testing rooms and a dedicated audiology room has cut the ribbon on its brand-new location has worked at the Specsavers practice since its opening in 1999 having started as a trainee optical assistant Taylor said: “Specsavers Bootle has been a part of this community since February 1999 and I’m proud to have been here since the initial opening The team has done an excellent job in our 25 years but we reached capacity at our previous location and needed more room to grow.” The new practice is a short move away from its previous location in the Strand Shopping Centre Taylor commented: “Bootle means a lot to me personally I’ve grown up here and I still live in the area I really care about this town and all the people in it so we want to do the best for the residents “Bootle is one of the most deprived areas of Merseyside and I know how important it is to really serve this community and provide the best care we can,” she added One way in which the practice supports the local community beyond eye care is providing blood pressure and heart rate checks The move is in part due to the ongoing £20 million regeneration of the town centre by Sefton Council which purchased the shopping centre in 2017 and aims to create a hub for shopping The practice is seeking to hire more staff and plans to work with the local Jobcentre to fill positions The new practice was opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Taylor the mascot for Liverpool children’s hospice the practice’s chosen charity for the year in 2024 said: “We are absolutely delighted to celebrate the grand reopening of Specsavers Bootle and to join in the festivities on this special day.” The Bootle and Crosby Specsavers practices have raised £1500 for the hospice with donations also collected during the practice grand opening “This generosity means so much to our team especially as we recently secured the future of Zoe’s Place and laid plans for a brand-new hospice to care for our precious children and their families for years to come,” she said You must be logged in to join the discussion. Log in The Association of Optometrists is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) - reference number 313444 Keep up-to-date on all things optics with our award-winning bi-monthly journal Our monthly CPD will keep you on track for your education requirements Subscribe The child was taken from the Early Learners Day Nursery in Bootle to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead News | UK A two-year-old boy has died after a medical episode at a nursery Officers were called to the Early Learners Day Nursery on Hawthorne Road, in Bootle, Merseyside at 12.35pm on Tuesday, Merseyside Police said The child was taken to hospital by paramedics where he was pronounced dead The force said the boy's family is being supported and an investigation is under way which last year was rated as "Good" by Ofsted inspectors reportedly from the nursery and shared on social media this afternoon a medical emergency occurred at the nursery It is with devastating sadness that we have to inform you of a child's passing "To enable everyone to process today's tragic events we have made the decision to close the nursery for the remainder of the week and also to allow us to continue working with relevant agencies "We trust that you understand our decision at this difficult time and we will update you all with further information in the coming days Our thoughts and prayers are with the family." Merseyside Police said in a statement: "We can confirm that an investigation is under way following reports that a two-year-old boy suffered a fatal medical episode at a children's nursery in Bootle "The incident was reported at around 12.35pm yesterday and the child was taken to hospital by paramedics "He was sadly pronounced deceased at hospital and his family is being supported "An investigation has been commenced to establish the full circumstances and cause of death which is currently being treated as unexplained." VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin David Beckham extends olive branch to son Brooklyn amid 'family feud' New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications from nationalities most likely to overstay New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications Sefton Council hopes to complete the first phase of the transformation in 2026 Sefton Council is seeking feedback on its first phase of plans for the shopping centre which include introducing additional landscaped public spaces refurbishing the former Marks & Spencer building into a mixed-use space The consultation for The Strand in Bootle plans runs until 19 September and can be accessed at sefton.gov.uk/miscellaneous-pages/bootle-strand/engagement with music and event venue Salt and Tar opening earlier this year Salt and Tar welcomed more than 12,000 attendees for the Music Weekender festival in August Demolition was approved in December for part of the shopping centre and nearby vacant housing stock The details of what will happen with the old M&S building and Mons Square have not yet been decided though Sefton Council is working alongside Ellandi and Avison Young to craft proposals – but wants the public to weigh in citizens are encouraged to vote on which vision they prefer for Mons Square and what kind of spaces they’d like to see at the M&S block The council hopes to start bringing those proposals to fruition in 2026 consultation is a vital part of our planning and we hope residents will take the opportunity to have their say,” said Cllr Paulette Lappin Sefton Council’s cabinet member for regeneration “We’re entering an exciting period of transformation in Bootle We want the changes to reflect the needs of residents and to help us achieve our goal of making Bootle an attractive destination for all these groups,” she continued “Working together has always had brilliant results I’m sure that we will get lots of valuable suggestions and I look forward to hearing what people have to say.” A lot of us have our origins in Bootle even though we’re now scattered around the Liverpool region and elsewhere I went to one of the festival days at Salt and Tar recently I now live nearly ten miles further up the coast but like many others I want Bootle to succeed and get back some of its lustre and we will support it with our feet when the Council gets it right There are opportunities to link Bootle in with Liverpool’s tourism offer with a bit of imagination People are staying all over our city region now It was a resort before Southport was when the bathing huts left Liverpool’s North Shore following the expansion of the docks Not to be disrespectful but why can’t the planners and designers work out what is best for Bootle if you consult with most people they haven’t got a clue about urban planning People with maybe limited expectations will pitch their wish-list low but Bootle needs a place that is enjoyable to be both in retail and leisure terms a really interesting market like they have in continental towns would be a positive and a hotel or two which could attract football match-goers and other travellers I would like to have a reel cinema in the shopping centre and a leisure complex with 10 pin bowling Why don’t they make the trade in to one bedroom self contain flats the make money it’s embarrassing to go in there.It’s quite obvious that it was “thrown-up on a shoestring.First of all it’s way too big something more down-to-scale should be built in its place.Why is everything built too big these days?? We live on a tiny Island,and yet all these developers think we live in a country the size of Russia.PLEASE rebuild the whole lot but on a smaller scale.Thanking you The Duke of Westminster must be delighted at the demolition of the shopping centres of Bootle all the chaos over the next two will be excellent for Liverpool One Church Street and Bold Street catchment areas there should be units for new small business especially for young people eg Arts when is the beautiful children’s book shop reopening It was situated on the lower level of the shopping centre and has now I believe taken on one of the old banks at the front of the Strand They would be better finding some shops to go into the strand Salt and Tar music festival was good however it would be interesting to find out which local businesses benefited For example: drinks could only be purchased from one venue Liverpool… advertising was the company Bootle based I think you.ll find these were not local companies 🤔 but Manchester based…shameful Sefton Council Why have you got to take away some of the shops ,don’t you think it would give you more revenue and for taking the roof off ,the company who built it should be made to fix the problem,one more thing lower your rents and you the council could lower the rates so people who are trying to make a living can .🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇨🇮🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⚜️👍 The upgrade is needed and the creation of Salt & Tar next to the canal is a good idea – WITH SOUND CONTROL…. Status Quo was OTT +++ – as is canal side catering etc etc The Strand is a reasonably good shopping centre Mapi the Cafe is an absolutely splendid business the quality of which isn’t usually found outside main city centres Its a shame the Council aren’t looking at the town as a whole The Strand is only one small part and the Council/their advisors missed a trick not buying in the old HMRC offices within the Triad above when it sold for a bargain price a few years back The fact that all the focus is on the Strand whilst Grade A offices are being demolished just down the road to be replaced by single storey retail schemes – which will drag footfall away from the Strand provides a good example of the disjointed strategy employed The City Visitor Charge will haul in an estimated £9.2m over the next two years The council wants to appoint a multidisciplinary team to draw up a place strategy for the town aimed at harnessing “the power of Southport’s strengths” Bootle are celebrating an award at the PubAid’s Community Pub Hero Awards 2025 Liz Bromilow and Ben Ashcroft from the pub were at the ceremony in the Houses of Commons to accept the award for being the best Community Support Hero The pub saw competition from almost 700 entries nationwide for the prestigious pub industry awards This Community Support Hero England Award recognises licensees who help their communities and pubs who are good neighbours to their local community Weston Super Mare were also in the finals in this highly competitive category The pub won because it stood out as the only community-owned pub in the whole of the Liverpool City region and all profits are re-invested into Bootle They deliver a regular programme of free and subsidised activities and events throughout the year including live music of all types a Canoe & Walking Club which is suitable for all the family as well as the visually impaired The extensive gardens offer community growing spaces for flowers and vegetables where the community comes together to help and this boosts civic pride and mental health with being in nature and the outdoors CLH News is published by RBC Publishing Ltd Contributions are welcome for consideration no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised Advertise with us Video Services Brad Kella announces first UK headline tour following breakthrough success The region’s biggest electric vehicle event is coming to the Museum of Liverpool info@theguideliverpool.com +44 151 702 0143 Calendar Food & Drink A new community-focused coffee shop opens on Manchester Road Picante launches new Margarita Masterclasses Nightlife New Kapsule music venue opening at Invisible Wind Factory this weekend 20 things you can do this week in Liverpool (28 April – 4 May 2025) Tate Liverpool unveils Chila Kumari Singh Burman retrospective as centrepiece of 2027 relaunch Family Mum creates chilled Scandi style play cafe that parents will love as much as kids Find out the free family entertainment happening at Smithdown Festival this weekend Directory The Northern Guide Advertise The Guide Liverpool: Getting Ready for the BIG dates in 2025 12 ways The Guide can help support your business in 2025 Bootle Christmas celebrations will start this Saturday with The Strand’s Christmas Light Switch-On with a special stage show beginning half an hour later in the Hexagon Hits Radio’s Leanne Campbell will host a gala event that stars Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter tribute acts while some family favourite characters will also show up children visiting the Strand will even have a chance to meet Santa have their photo taken and receive a free gift Festivities then move over to Stanley Road where Leanne Campbell will switch on the Christmas Tree Lights In Another Place will launch a brand-new walk-through experience called The Secret At Christmas Small groups will be invited into a Christmas wonderland to try to find out what the secret of Christmas really is the audience will explore the traditions and festivities of Christmas discovering its true origins and an exciting secret Performances last 45 minutes and will be taking place from 10am to 4.30pm. Shows will take place on Saturdays 23rd and 30th November, as well as Saturday 7th December, with multiple time slots each day. Tickets are just £6 per child and £9 per adult, and can be booked online at www.inanotherplace.com For the little ones who want to share their Christmas wishes with the special man of the season Santa’s Grotto will open from Saturday 7th until Monday 23rd December in The Castle with the chance to see tin soldiers and elves helping to prepare for Santa’s big arrival Tickets start at £7 and each ticket allows entry for one child and up to two adults so it is recommended to pre-book a time slot online before arriving “The countdown to Christmas has begun and I’m excited to see festive plans taking shape “The Strand is the heart of the Bootle community and it’s fantastic that so many activities for all the family will be taking place there Previous events have always been a real joy and I know it’ll be the same this time “This is a great way to cap off the year and lead us in to 2025 where we’ll see our transformation of the Strand take significant strides “Please continue to visit the shopping centre and support our fantastic retailers and organisations there.” Preparations are underway ahead of next year’s demolition work at The Strand but the shopping centre will remain fully open during the Christmas period and all future work.  Stay up to date with all future events and activities at www.strandshoppingcentre.com The Guide Liverpool proudly shares regular stories from in and around Liverpool Our editorial team is made up of trained journalists and media professionals meaning you will never miss a moment from the city region Buy Tickets Sign up today to be the first to hear exclusive Liverpool news & offers Download it today to be the first to hear exclusive Liverpool news & offers this event will showcase the ambitious regeneration plans bringing hundreds of millions of pounds into the borough Attendees will gain valuable insight into the economic and environmental benefits of these projects and what they mean for local businesses Reserve your spot now by emailing investsefton@sefton.gov.uk or calling 0151 934 3452 Wirral's independent local news website Just after 5.50pm reports were received that shots had been fired by a bearded male and damage had been caused to a house on William Henry Street Officers attended and found damage to the front wall of the property Crime Scene Investigators are carrying out forensic examinations at the scene and house-to-house enquiries are underway High visibility patrols have been stepped up in the area “An investigation into the full circumstances of this incident is ongoing “I would appeal to anyone who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously in the area around Owen Road shortly before Information they have could be vital.” Anyone with information is asked to DM @merpolcc or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 Image: GOOGLE  Email us at news@birkenhead.news