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Historic village to be tourism hotspot
Dec 30th 2003
By Sam Lister Daily Post Staff

The picturesque village of Port Sunlight is to undergo the biggest economic transformation in its history.

Almost £500,000 has been granted by English Heritage to make the village into a booming tourist attraction.And that amount is set to double if bids submitted to two other charities are successful.
It will mean the creation of a new heritage centre kitted out with hi-tech displays and an education centre.A host of marketing strategies to attract extra visitors are also being put together. It is predicted the changes will bring in 20,000 more tourists a year, doubling current numbers.

The Port Sunlight Village Trust has spent two years putting the bid together.Chief executive Lionel Bolland hopes it will make the village Merseyside's must-see visitor attraction, especially during the 2006 Open Championship and Capital of Culture 2008.He said: "We want to get the message out that there is a lot to do here. It has a wonderful history and we want to have a heritage centre that does that justice."It is a magnificent place with amazing architecture. We mainly get coach-tour visitors who stop off for an hour but find it just isn't long enough."We hope the centre will attract people in and from there they will go on to explore the village."The timing is ideal and we hope, when tourists visit these major events such as Capital of Culture, they will also make it their first priority to come and see us."

The current heritage centre was opened two decades ago and is in desperate need of modernisation.The educational facility consists of one desk and two chairs and the displays cannot be seen by wheelchair users. Work will now start on refurbishing the village Girls Club, at the end of The Diamond, which will be the home of the new centre.

The building has lain empty for two years and is in desperate need of repair.But it is in a prime location facing the Lady Lever Art Gallery, which attracts 75,000 visitors a year, and is three times the size of the current centrA mezzanine floor will be installed to be used for educational classes.

Interactive displays and films depicting the life of Lord Lever and local workers will feature heavily in bringing the village's history to life.The centre's gift shop will also be expanded.

Work will start on the renovations early next year and is expected to take about 12 months.Mr Bolland added: "We want to ensure the village stays unchanged for as long as possible." Ben Chapman, MP for Wirral South, said: "Port Sunlight is a jewel in Wirral's tourism crown and one that will, I am sure, have a major role to play in the Capital of Culture Year in 2008."

	[ VILLAGE ISSUES ] [ TOURISM HOTSPOT]
.	Historic village to be tourism hotspot Dec 30th 2003 By Sam Lister Daily Post Staff The picturesque village of Port Sunlight is to undergo the biggest economic transformation in its history. Almost £500,000 has been granted by English Heritage to make the village into a booming tourist attraction.And that amount is set to double if bids submitted to two other charities are successful. It will mean the creation of a new heritage centre kitted out with hi-tech displays and an education centre.A host of marketing strategies to attract extra visitors are also being put together. It is predicted the changes will bring in 20,000 more tourists a year, doubling current numbers. The Port Sunlight Village Trust has spent two years putting the bid together.Chief executive Lionel Bolland hopes it will make the village Merseyside's must-see visitor attraction, especially during the 2006 Open Championship and Capital of Culture 2008.He said: "We want to get the message out that there is a lot to do here. It has a wonderful history and we want to have a heritage centre that does that justice."It is a magnificent place with amazing architecture. We mainly get coach-tour visitors who stop off for an hour but find it just isn't long enough."We hope the centre will attract people in and from there they will go on to explore the village."The timing is ideal and we hope, when tourists visit these major events such as Capital of Culture, they will also make it their first priority to come and see us." The current heritage centre was opened two decades ago and is in desperate need of modernisation.The educational facility consists of one desk and two chairs and the displays cannot be seen by wheelchair users. Work will now start on refurbishing the village Girls Club, at the end of The Diamond, which will be the home of the new centre. The building has lain empty for two years and is in desperate need of repair.But it is in a prime location facing the Lady Lever Art Gallery, which attracts 75,000 visitors a year, and is three times the size of the current centrA mezzanine floor will be installed to be used for educational classes. Interactive displays and films depicting the life of Lord Lever and local workers will feature heavily in bringing the village's history to life.The centre's gift shop will also be expanded. Work will start on the renovations early next year and is expected to take about 12 months.Mr Bolland added: "We want to ensure the village stays unchanged for as long as possible." Ben Chapman, MP for Wirral South, said: "Port Sunlight is a jewel in Wirral's tourism crown and one that will, I am sure, have a major role to play in the Capital of Culture Year in 2008."