The village was founded in 1888 and welcomes thousands of visitors every year
The Dell in Port Sunlight(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
People living in a historic Merseyside village frozen in time could soon have new rules put in place that tells them what they can do in their own home.
Wirral Council alongside the Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT), which manages the village, are asking for people’s thoughts on new rules to preserve the special character of the village and its unique heritage. The local authority said the new changes would also “make it easier for residents to maintain and improve their homes” as well as the council.
The new Local Listed Building Consent Order (LLBCO) for the village will include clearer guidance on replacing and repairing outbuilding doors, permission for vacuum insulated glazing, and removal of consent for new satellite dishes “due to a lack of demand and the availability of modern digital alternatives”.
The local authority said: “Set within 130 acres of well-maintained parkland, Port Sunlight is a nationally significant garden village and your feedback will help us help ensure it remains a beautiful place to live and visit for generations to come.”
People will be able to have their say until October 21 or a drop in session is being held at the Port Sunlight Village Hall on September 30 between 5pm and 7pm.
Port Sunlight Village currently has more than 900 Grade II listed buildings, a Grade II* listed church, and Grade I war memorial set amongst 130 acres of parkland. The PSVT was set up by Unilever in 1999 to “create a self-sustaining village for all who live, visit and work here”.
The village was founded in 1888 by William Lever, the first Lord Leverhulme, who wanted to provide a place to live for his workers at the nearby soap works. Today, the village is viewed as “one of the finest surviving examples of early urban planning in the United Kingdom”.
The LLBCO covers all of these listed buildings and makes sure any changes to them preserve their unique character. The village remains largely intact to how it was when it was first built.
The draft order put forward will streamline the process for most applications in the village, provide clear and reliable information allowing enforcement issues to be addressed, reduce capacity issues in the council, support sustainability while protecting the history of the area, and provide consistency with national policies.
If approved, the new rules will come on from November 26, 2025 and will run for 15 years. They will be reviewed every five years.
However if you want to do things to your house that are not covered by the LLBCO such as replacing your front windows or replacing rear windows with a window type not included in the order, an application will need to be made to Wirral Council.
For the latest news and breaking news visit liverpoolecho.co.uk/news
Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Follow us on X @LivECHONews – the official Liverpool ECHO X account – real news in real time.
We’re also on Facebook/theliverpoolecho – your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.