West Kirby Sailing School site hotel redevelopment plans set to be unveiled

Jun 25 2008 by Laura Jones, Hoylake and West Kirby News

CONTROVERSIAL redevelopment plans for West Kirby’s sailing school will be unveiled today (Thursday) as councillors urge the public to make their views known.

The public consultation will give residents their first chance to see how the redevelopment of the 43-year-old sailing school and car park would look if plans for a four star hotel and leisure complex are given the go-ahead.

The business community was given a preview of the plans, with 150 shopkeepers and traders invited to a meeting with developers Carpenter Investments last night.

But councillors have voiced concerns about the handling of the consultation process, and are now calling on the public to scrutinise the proposals.

Conservative councillor Geoffrey Watt said: “Local councillors have not been part of planning this consultation process, and so we are in the same boat as the public at the moment.

“I am glad that people are getting a chance to have their say, but am concerned that the form of the consultation has not been approved by local councillors.”

Merseyside-based Carpenter Investments and council officers have collaborated to organise the three-day consultation at The Concourse Building in West Kirby, starting tomorrow.

Cllr Watt said: “News readers should be aware that local councillors have not been consulted on the form or content of the long-awaited consultation process over the Sail project.”

Director of Carpenter Investments Alan Beer said: “Cllr Watt’s objections to the consultation are disappointing. He was among the first to be consulted over these proposals and has already met our architect, Christophe Egret.

“We have always made it clear that our commitment is to consult directly with the people of West Kirby.”

Some West Kirby businesses and home owners remain sceptical.

Ally MacDermot, a member of the Chamber of Business and Community West Kirby and owner of Your Choice Interiors, said: “The initial plans were to redevelop the sailing school - now we do not know how that has come to mean a 50-room hotel.

“Extending the footprint of the development means we face losing car parking - as a business owner this is worrying.”

But Pam Oppenshaw, owner of the Aubergine café and host of Tuesday night’s meeting, said: “West Kirby has everything a seaside town has, but its leisure services let it down - it is a lovely place with an awful lot to offer, but a development like this would encourage tourists to come.”

The proposals can be viewed at West Kirby Concourse from Thursday, June 26 to Saturday, June 28, from 11am-7pm each day.