AMBITIOUS plans to transform a former Hoylake lifeboat station into a new cinema, arts and heritage centre have been all but destroyed after Wirral Council deemed the site “unavailable”.

The proposed “Beacon” centre was in its infancy but had already received an overwhelming response from the community.

Planned for the site of the old lifeboat station on North Parade - currently home to Hoylake Lifeboat Museum - the Beacon would have consisted of a 120-seater single-screen cinema with bistro, restaurant and exhibition space to include historic and heritage artefacts.

Put forward by the Beacon Steering Group - a small group of Hoylake residents who believe the town's promenade has what they describe as "enormous untapped potential for positive development" - the proposal was to retain the original building alongside a “high quality contemporary extension”.

But a letter sent to the steering group by Wirral Council’s acting chief executive David Armstrong has put an end to such dreams.

In the letter, Mr Armstrong said issues had been raised with the authority’s head of regeneration and planning in respect of the development, mainly concerning the “constrained nature of the site, lack of car parking, the effect on the amenity of neighbours, difficulties with servicing and its isolated position in respect of other facilities in Hoylake”.

But the main blow came in the form of an existing covenant, which restricts the use of the land.

A spokesman for Wirral Council said: “Wirral Council owns the land, albeit with a covenant held by Peel Holdings, so a release from this would be required from Peel. For these reasons, we are unable to release the land.”

A website had been set up outlining the steering group's plans and called on Hoylake residents to get behind the scheme.

On the site, the group says: "We believe that regeneration is best motivated by local people, simply waiting for it to happen does a disservice to future generations.

"We seek to generate widespread public support as well as interest from investors and developers in a catalytic project that will provide residents and visitors with a high quality leisure and food and drink facility on the site of the Old Lifeboat Station.

"All of the work we are doing is entirely voluntary; we have no financial interest in the project whatsoever. Our only aim is to facilitate this much needed development and ensure it meets the highest standards."

Following the ruling, a post on the site said: “The Beacon is dead. Long live the Beacon.”

What do you think about the plans? Would the Beacon project have been welcomed in Hoylake? Have your say in the comments below.