Sefton Council has scrapped plans to close the Botanic Gardens aviary in Southport after facing a legal challenge and public opposition. The local authority announced on Friday that it is no longer proceeding with the closure and will instead hold a public consultation on the attraction's future.
The council had previously said it wanted to shut the aviary in Churchtown over concerns about running costs and animal welfare, saying it could "no longer meet the physical, behavioural and psychological needs" of the animals. The aviary first opened 87 years ago.
Legal challenge prompted reversal
In October, the Save Our Aviary campaign group and the Botanic Gardens Community Association (BGCA) said they were taking legal action against the authority. A statement from the groups said they had "reluctantly taken the decision to issue a claim in relation to Sefton Council's decision concerning the aviary."
The statement added: "We became aware of the decision on June 30 and throughout July and August sought to engage constructively with Sefton Council in the hope that a way forward could be found without the need for legal proceedings. Taking legal action was not a step we wanted to take, and it has not been taken lightly. However, after our efforts to engage with the council, we ultimately felt that we had been left with no other option but to issue a claim."
Council cites taxpayer burden
A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: "As has already been publicised, Sefton Council has received a legal challenge over an operational decision to close the Aviary at Botanic Gardens in Southport. Fighting a legal challenge requires significant expense and this cost is an unfair and unnecessary burden on the Sefton taxpayer. As a result of this challenge the operational decision in question has been rescinded by the local authority."
The council will now conduct a public consultation into the future of the aviary, covering animal welfare, rising financial demands, current infrastructure and future operational challenges. Details of the consultation will be published in due course.
