Live music venue in line for £585k funding boost

Tom Jones and Status Quo both played at Salt & Tar this summer

A new live music venue could receive more than £500,000 to help turn it into a permanent events site.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said it could offer Salt & Tar in Bootle financial support of £585,000.

The venue, which opened next to Bootle Strand earlier this year, is owned by Sefton Council and local band Red Rum Club.

Tom Jones and Status Quo both performed there in August at the Music Weekender festival which was attended by more than 11,000 fans over four days.

The funding proposal will be considered at this month’s Combined Authority meeting on 15 November.

Mayor Steve Rotheram said: "Salt & Tar is a brilliant example of the sort of cultural asset that we want to support and protect.

"This funding means not only can we secure a long-term future for this much-loved venue, it will also bring new opportunities to Bootle and Seaforth, creating jobs, boosting local learning and contributing to the area’s vibrant future."

Salt & Tar, established with £2.1m of combined authority funding, was in 2021 granted permission to operate for five years.

The further £585,000 would enable improvements to secure the venue’s future.

If the plans are approved, work would likely start after next year's events.

Councillor Marion Atkinson, leader of Sefton Council, said: "We’re really pleased to see this funding being earmarked for Sefton and it shows the confidence in what we’re doing here.

"It will help us to continue some of the great work taking place to support the local economy and improve facilities to make best use of them for the local community."