Wirral council and Mersey Docks and Harbour company look to dispose of historic lifeboat station

Jun 25 2009 by Kevin Core, Liverpool Daily Post

WIRRAL Council is looking to develop the site of an historic lifeboat station.

Corporate services chiefs are looking into developing the site of Hoylake’s old boathouse, after it was replaced in November, 2008, by a new station built 500m east of the North Parade site.

Owned by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company (MDHC), it was always leased to the RNLI on a nominal “peppercorn” rent, but with spectacular views of the Dee Estuary, the redundant building is seen as an irresistible development opportunity.

Although it is owned by MDHC, the adjacent triangle of land is owned by the council and the two are “working closely” on finding a use for the entire site.

Complications could surface as the location is in the Kings Gap Conservation Area. Lifeboat enthusiast John Parr, who restored the last Hilbre lifeboat, the 108-year-old “Chapman”, believes the station should be retained as a museum marking Hoylake’s historical importance as one of the first RNLI stations.

He said: “The council has only ever paid lip service to the idea of a charitable museum for the people of Hoylake.

“The triangle of land they own is public leisure space as it used to be a shelter, but they obviously want to throw it in with the station itself and flog it.”