I have spoken to the RYA and the North West Regional Development Officer (Sally Kilpatrick)and she was unaware that about the detail of the redevelopment that was being proposed. The centre manager had told her that he was getting a new sailing school. Perhaps more RYA memebers should be contacting her as I agree that there is much more potential here than a day spa bunged next to a supermarket, with a sailing centre as the oil to grease the wheel.

Do you have an email address or contact details,

Regional RYA contact details are here
I'll be dropping Sally an email shortly

According to the council report the manager is not technically correct. The developers will be getting a new sailing school and renting it back to the council (for which I assume he is an employee)

http://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/Published/C00000121/M00000358/AI00004133/$TheSailReport2.docA.ps.pdf
"7.2 The proposed development opportunity would involve the Council offering up the site
on a long lease arrangement to be agreed with the Developer, with the Council
retaining the freehold interest. The Council managed elements of the development i.e.
the Sailing School would be leased back to the Council on a pepper corn rent"
"8.3 In terms of on-going maintenance, the developer proposes to lease back the sailing
school to the Council through a full repair and maintenance lease, with the Council
responsible for maintaining the sailing school as it does currently. Carpenter
Investments has indicated that the Council will be liable to pay a small, nominal
service charge in relation to the communal areas around the sailing school."

So the council (Wirral rate payers), will be liable for all the costs except rebuilding, staffing, maintainance etc, but the building, car parking etc will the be the property (on a long lease) of Carpenter Investments. I'm sure we would all like to see new facilities but should the lake have privately owned
access at both ends?

Hi Folks,
There may well yet be a way to prevent the councils proposal,one of the the things we are all over looking in all this is the dreaded Health and Safety Act or more importantly the councils liability under it.
Why is the current car park restricted to Lake Licence Holders only?

Is the council providing us with an exclusive service or could it be that they just want to avoid the liability, is this part of the reason we all have to have our own personal third party liability insurance and why there are disclaimer notices on the rigging area warning members of the public to stay out? We all know how congested and chaotic the car park can be with kit all over the floor and sailors walking backwards carrying board and sail! I suggest we base our opposition to the scheme on safety rather than on the loss of parking spaces, after all a single compensation claim by a member of the public against the council would soon wipe out any revenue generated by parking charges!! If anyone on this forum has any legal training may be they can advise us?

My understanding is if the council allow the general public to park on a pay and display basis then it has a "duty of care" to provide a parking area that is fit for purpose ie it dosen't flood in a 9+ metre tide!
Also in most pay and display carparks there are also Disabled parking bays and knowing this council it will locate them at the end of the carpark overlooking the sea, can't wait to see what happens!!!
I am going to talk to the local liberal councillors, wish me luck! It may be worth us writing enmass to the local free papers as well.
Cheers Steve

Nicely thought out Steve,

I'm sure that can be added to all the other reasons why this is such non-starter of a plan, and has a lot of validity.

Just one point, the council won't be collecting any parking fees. The management and income of the pay & display parking will be the responsibility of the developers. The license fees will go the council as they currently do. So no conflict of interest there for the person responsible for controlling the barrier and keeping the balance between spaces for the lake users (£12.00 a day, or annual/seasonal license) and pay & display customers (£7.60 a day).