Full Council voted 35 to 27 against pausing the Botanic Gardens aviary closure. All 20 Southport councillors present backed a pause; Formby's six voted against.

Sefton Council has voted down a call to pause the closure of the Botanic Gardens aviary in Churchtown. The motion was lost by 27 votes to 35 at full Council on 17 September.

The printed minutes of that meeting are now published. They are the first written record of the outcome, and they list how every councillor voted. (Sefton Council, printed minutes of the Council meeting, 17 September 2026)

The vote split on party lines. All 35 votes against came from Labour councillors. Every other group on the council voted for the pause.

Bar chart of the recorded vote on the Botanic Gardens aviary motion at Sefton Council on 17 September 2026: Labour 35 against; Liberal Democrats 17, Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents 4, Reform UK 3 and Green 3 for. The motion was lost 27 to 35.
Chart by Southport Today, from the recorded vote in the minutes.
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What the motion asked for

Cllr Daniel Lewis (Meols, Liberal Democrat) moved the motion. Cllr Liam Stoddart (Lydiate and Maghull West, Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents) seconded it.

It did not ask the council to reverse the closure. It asked Cabinet to:

  • pause irreversible steps, including demolition, permanent repurposing and rehoming “undertaken solely to facilitate closure”
  • still allow urgent veterinary treatment, or rehoming where a vet advised it was in a bird’s best interests
  • commission an independent assessment by avian vets and animal welfare professionals
  • invite expressions of interest from charities, sanctuaries, schools and community groups for a welfare-led future use of the site
  • publish a costed options appraisal within 12 weeks, comparing closure, a smaller council-run aviary and any credible outside proposal
  • publish the evidence if no credible alternative was found

The motion also recorded that Green Sefton staff and volunteers “should not be held responsible for the age or condition of the aviary”.

The petition

A residents’ petition, “Save the Botanic Gardens Aviary”, was presented at the same meeting. The minutes say it carried “over 500 signatures”. The lead petitioner spoke to the Council for five minutes.

The Mayor took the petition and the motion together as a single debate. The recorded vote followed.

A separate ePetition on the council’s own site is still open. It had 583 signatures when we checked on Tuesday, up from 576 on 25 September. It closes on 25 October. (Sefton Council ePetitions)

How Southport and Formby councillors voted

Southport has seven wards, each with three councillors. Twenty of those 21 were at the meeting, and all 20 voted for the pause. Cllr John Costello (Norwood, Reform UK) is not listed among those present.

Formby’s two wards have six councillors, all Labour. All six voted against.

Ward Councillors Vote
Ainsdale Delves, Gibson, Thompson (Lib Dem) All for
Birkdale Brodie-Browne, Shaw (Lib Dem); Ryder (Reform UK) All for
Cambridge Evans, Pat Keith, Sammon (Lib Dem) All for
Dukes Braham, Danny Howard, Pugh (Lib Dem) All for
Kew Corbishley, Kirby, Sathiy (Lib Dem) All for
Meols Dodd, Lauren Keith, Lewis (Lib Dem) All for
Norwood Denton, Swaney (Reform UK) For; Costello not present
Formby East Howe, Catie Page, Christopher Page (Labour) All against
Formby West Cavanagh, Harvey, Richards (Labour) All against

The aviary is in Meols ward. Cllr John Dodd, one of its councillors, declared a personal interest as a trustee and vice-chair of the Botanic Gardens Association. The minutes list him among those voting for.

Party and ward details are from the council’s councillor list.

Where the closure stands

The Council approved the closure as part of the 2026/27 budget, as the motion itself noted. After two failed attempts this month, first at scrutiny on 15 September and now at full Council, it stands. We reported the 5-3 scrutiny vote last week.

The council’s aviary questions and answers were last updated on 23 September. They say no bird has yet been rehomed, and that euthanasia “will not be considered at any stage”. The council still works to the end of March 2027 for new homes to be found. (Sefton Council, Botanic Gardens aviary)

What it means for you

The motion was worded as a request to Cabinet, not an instruction. With it lost, there is no request from the Council on the record asking Cabinet to pause, assess or look for partners.

If you gave a bird to the aviary and want it back, the council says you can email Green Sefton at greensefton2@sefton.gov.uk. You will need evidence that the bird was yours.

The council ePetition stays open until 25 October. If you want to tell your councillors what you think of how they voted, their contact details are on the council’s councillor pages.

Our earlier reports set out what the aviary costs and saves and the background to the scrutiny meeting.

Sources