The sale has been controversial
Colin Bermingham from Brighter Bebington(Image: Copyright Unknown)
A man was shocked when he found out Wirral Council was selling his driveway without him knowing. The local authority told the ECHO the sale is now on hold following opposition.
In December 2024, councillors unanimously approved the sale of Pennant House in Bebington along with a number of other council assets. The 19th century building next to Mayer Hall holds a special place within its community and councillors sought assurances this would be taken into account at the time.
Public awareness of the sale was low until a notice in the Wirral Globe that part of nearby Mayer Park was included, this prompted quick backlash in the community. Petitions have now been signed by more than 2,000 people.
Tony Lever, who lives in a Magenta Living home next to the building, said he had no idea about the plans and believed Pennant House had been left to the people of Bebington. He’s lived in his home since the 1970s.
He currently uses the car park and fears he would lose access as part of any sale. The ECHO understands access to Mr Lever’s property would remain as part of any sale though use of the car park is not guaranteed.
Mr Lever said the news of the sale was a bit of a shock, adding: “I knew nothing about what was happening. They keep everybody in the dark.”
Pennant House(Image: Copyright Unknown)
Colin Bermingham, from community group Brighter Bebington, believed they should be given a bit more respect given their positive relationship with the council, adding there had been no transparency about the sale.
He told the ECHO: “I think that the meeting was held in December to sell it and [Mr Lever] only found out by pure chance eight months later, that isn’t the way to treat anybody.
“Whatever they get from this building, it’s not going to come back to Bebington and that is wrong. It’s such a small amount of money they are going to get from it and it’s not going to go to the people of Bebington.
“I want to know what the hell is happening because nobody knows. If there was a positive plan that the public would be behind, I would understand but we aren’t even getting that opportunity.
“One of my disappointments is we have worked with the council for 33 years and never had a cross word with them but the way this has been done has upset us.”
Currently the community group uses the site to store their Christmas lights as well as equipment needed to set up their annual Christmas fair. They feel the sale jeopardises this.
James Skinner, the landlord at the nearby Rose and Crown, said: “Without that, we lose all of our Christmas lights. Bebington becomes a worse place to live and the pub begins to suffer because the community it’s in begins to suffer.”
In a letter to the council, he said the sale of part of the park in particular was abhorrent, adding: “The people of Bebington and Wirral deserve better.”
Bebington Green councillor Ed Lamb, whose party voted for the sale, said many of the council’s proud buildings are falling into disrepair and the costs to repair them was increasing.
He told the ECHO: “While a potential sale is not ideal, councillors must reflect on our overall financial challenges as well as the best use for the building. How can we best secure the investment it needs and what will bring life back to and ensure an exciting future for the building? Discussions will continue to ensure we make the right decision.”
A Wirral Council spokesperson said: “The decision to sell Pennant House in Bebington was taken in December 2024 when the building – along with a number of other council-owned properties – was declared surplus to requirements. Following this proposals were put forward to establish the extent of land to include in the sale of Pennant House. As part of the land was open to public access, a public notice was published in the local press.
“Following feedback from the local community it has now been agreed to exclude the open space from the planned sale. As there is a petition opposing the sale of Pennant House the matter will now be reported to a future meeting of the full council and no further steps to go ahead with its sale will take place until the outcome of that meeting.”
Magenta Living was asked whether it has been aware of the plans and if so, why it had not informed Mr Lever. A spokesperson said: “We understand that Wirral Council has been engaging with local residents, and the proposed sale plans are temporarily on hold.”