Salt & Tar: Bootle music venue which hosted Tom Jones to benefit from major funding boost

Salt & Tar opened next to Bootle Strand earlier this year and was launched by local band Red Rum Club who are part owners of the premises along with Sefton Council. The project was established with £2.1m of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority funding and was granted permission to operate for five years in 2021.

The venue has already attracted thousands of visitors and has played host to some of the world’s biggest music stars including Status Quo and Tom Jones who both performed at the Music Weekender festival in August. More than 11,000 people attended the canal side venue over the course of the four-day event which also included performances from local bands and artists.

The proposal for a further £585,000 will enable improvements to secure the venue’s future as a long-term cultural asset and allow ‘wider aspirations’ for the multi-use events space. Work is expected to start following the 2025 events programme, subject to detailed design and planning approval.

The funding, which is part of an additional £2m package that would support Sefton Council to deliver four projects across Bootle and Seaforth, will be considered at this month’s Combined Authority meeting on Friday (November 15).. Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Salt and 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.”

Other projects in line for funding include up to £785,000 for the refurbishment of St George’s House, up to £580,000 for improvements to Sefton Community Learning Centre on Cambridge Road, and up to £50,000 to support the Bootle Strand Commodity Trading School.

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