Lifeboat Museum: Car park sale creates issues

John Parr has been alerting people to the news that Wirral Borough Council have decided to sell the triangle of land next to the old lifeboat station in collaboration with Peel Holdings (the owners of the old building). This means that the proposed purchased by local backers Hylgar will fall through because Peel (for whatever reason) will not consider the Museum group’s bid if the Council decide to proceed with a joint sale.

John Parr is now attempting to discuss and resolve the matter with both Jeff Green (Leader, WBC) and John Whittaker (Chairman of Peel Holdings). If you want to see the old building converted into a museum instead of commercial premises John suggests the following campaigning might help the cause:

Please email to Mr Whittaker’s office via hseddon@peel.co.uk and copy to senior Peel Directors lashworth@peel.co.uk (Lindsey Ashworth, Peel Development Director) and lmorrissey@peel.co.uk (Louise Morrissey, Director of Estates for Peel).

Could you also please copy hilbre1948@aol.com so I can measure our response. Thank you so much.

The wording I leave up to our friends and supporters. But I would suggest something along these lines…..you may wish to cut and paste some or all of the following:

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FOR THE ATTENTION OF MR JOHN WHITTAKER.

Dear Mr Whittaker,

The Mersey Docks & Harbour Company, now owned by Peel Ports, has a proud and unique place in the history of Britain’s lifeboat stations. The world’s first lifeboat station was built by the company at nearby Formby, soon followed by Hoylake in 1803 and other locations around Liverpool Bay.

Hoylake is a lifeboat community. In just 10 days time we will unveil a memorial to the crew the fishing hamlet lost 200 years ago to the day, trying to save lives on 22nd December 1810.

Our old Victorian lifeboat station is iconic and much-loved. The community is strongly united in its wish to buy the buildings from Peel Ports and develop it into a Lifeboat Museum of which we can all be proud. But we really need you to help us realise this dream and celebrate our heritage.

I am writing this note to urge you to use your good offices to come to a mutually agreeable outcome with the John Parr, who is leading our campaign and will be the Chairman of our charitable trust. We fully recognise Peel have commercial interests which the campaign wish to meet.

We would urge Peel Ports to recognise the feelings and aspirations of our Wirral community. We are not asking for something for nothing, but we are asking that Peel and the Council do not deny us our heritage.

Thank you.

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