Groups can now bid to run Ainsdale's old library, Hesketh Park Conservatory and a Formby park building. Viewings start 5 November; no closing date yet.

Community groups can now bid to take on three council buildings in Southport, Ainsdale and Formby. Sefton Council opened the round on Monday 26 October.

The three local buildings are:

  • the former Ainsdale Library on Liverpool Road, with the former public toilet block next door
  • Hesketh Park Conservatory, the Grade II listed glasshouse in Southport
  • a former toilet block in Duke Street Park, Formby

A fourth opportunity, running the community kitchen at Cambridge Road Adult Education Centre, is in Seaforth, about 15 miles south. (Sefton Council, 26 October 2026)

Groups can look round each building first. The council has set two viewing sessions for each, starting next Thursday.

Building Viewing sessions
Hesketh Park Conservatory Thu 5 and Mon 9 November, 10am to 12 noon
Former Ainsdale Library Thu 5 and Mon 9 November, 2pm to 4pm
Duke Street Park toilet block, Formby Tue 10 and Wed 18 November, 2pm to 4pm

The dates are in the council’s information pack for each building. Council officers and councillors will be there to answer questions. (Sefton Council, Community Assets Process)

The council has not published a closing date for expressions of interest. Neither its announcement nor the four packs gives one. Its page simply says the round is “now open”.

What each building is

The former Ainsdale Library. The council’s pack describes a brick building with stone detailing, put up around 1929, that keeps many of its original features inside. It stopped being a library in 2013 and has more recently been run as a community centre. It covers about 2,766 square feet, and it sits close to Ainsdale station. The council wants a group that can offer learning, inclusion and access to services there. (Sefton Council, Ainsdale Library information pack)

Hesketh Park Conservatory. The glasshouse dates from the mid to late 19th century. Its floor measures about 21.2 metres by 11.6 metres. The council is restoring it with money donated through the Marks Family Trustees, working with the Hesketh Park Heritage Group. The scope in the pack includes:

  • new drainage above and below ground
  • repairs and strengthening to the metal frame, and repainting
  • removing, repairing and refitting the glazing, including the high clerestory windows
  • dismantling the glazed canopy and restoring it off site
  • new principal doors, and repairs to the boiler house
  • a full replacement of the heating and electrical services

The council says the final scope will be fixed once contractors’ tenders come back. (Sefton Council, Hesketh Park Conservatory information pack)

There is one firm limit. Whoever runs the conservatory cannot sell food or drink to the public, because the Hesketh Park Café holds exclusive catering rights in the park. Food and drink can be sold to people attending an event there, within a marked area.

The Duke Street Park block, Formby. This is a flat-roofed brick toilet block from around 1950. It has stood empty for 15 years. At about 100 square feet, it is roughly nine square metres, so it suits a small use that supports what already happens in the park. It sits beside Formby station. (Sefton Council, Duke Street Park information pack)

The park has two old toilet blocks. Only one is on offer. The other is part of a separate padel court proposal and would be restored for padel players.

How the process works

Groups lease the buildings rather than buy them. The council keeps ownership. The group takes on the day-to-day running, the maintenance and the costs.

Only not-for-profit organisations can apply. The council’s list includes:

  • registered charities and charitable incorporated organisations
  • community interest companies and community benefit societies
  • constituted community and voluntary groups
  • companies limited by guarantee without share capital

There are three stages. First comes a short expression of interest, setting out the group, its plans and the benefit to the community. Shortlisted groups then write a full business plan. A preferred tenant is chosen and the lease terms are negotiated last. The council’s own guide warns that the whole process can take six to 12 months, or longer. (Sefton Council, Community Assets Process guide)

This is the second round. In the first, the council has identified preferred tenants for Bedford Road Community Centre and Orrell Mount Pavilion, both in the south of the borough.

Cllr Paulette Lappin, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said: “We know these buildings and facilities matter to our communities, and we’re keen to hear fresh ideas about how they can be run in a way that will benefit local people in the future.”

Cabinet approved the revised policy behind this round on 1 October. Ainsdale Library was added to the list at that meeting. Our report on that Cabinet meeting has the background.

What it means for you

If you are part of a club, charity or community group that has wanted a base in Ainsdale, a venue in Hesketh Park or a foothold in Duke Street Park, this is the window.

  • Go to a viewing. The first are on Thursday 5 November. Check the times in the table above.
  • Ask about the deadline. None is published yet, so email CommunityAssets@sefton.gov.uk before you plan your timetable.
  • Get help with the forms. Sefton CVS supports groups writing their expression of interest and business plan; the council’s page gives the contact.
  • Plan for the costs. The lease puts maintenance and running costs on the group, so read the information pack for your building first.

If you use any of these buildings now, nothing changes yet. Any new arrangement is at least months away.