Plans have been submitted to Wirral Council for repairs to The Lyceum building in Port Sunlight, after the project secured £499,999 in government funding. The Grade II listed, late 19th-century former school and church is set to benefit from the Museum Estate and Development Fund, which supports heritage and local culture across the country.
Funding from the fifth round
In April, the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport and Arts Council England announced the fifth round of the fund, which aims to facilitate vital infrastructure and maintenance work to help keep museums open and thriving. The grant to Port Sunlight Village Trust will repair The Lyceum to ensure it can be enjoyed by future generations.
When the funding was announced, Ellesmere Port and Bromborough MP Justin Mathers described it as "great news for our area," adding it was "a real investment in our communities, and in the next generation."
Planned works
The submitted plans include reinstating a flat roof over the entrance area and toilets, conservation works to the building's spire and tower, and introducing solar panels on areas away from "key views." Documents explain that issues on the spire and tower include slipped slates, displaced leadwork, and cracking to the buttress. The investment into the building is described as "much-needed."
National context
Upon announcing the funding into arts and culture, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "At a time when forces seek to divide us, arts, culture and heritage are what bind us together. Our local cultural institutions aren't just buildings — they're part of who we are as a nation, they help tell our national story, and provide unique opportunities for young people to pursue their dreams."
She added: "This funding will keep the doors open and the lights on at thousands of arts organisations, museums, libraries and heritage buildings that might otherwise have been at real risk of closing. It will unlock opportunities for millions of people who have been shut out for far too long. That is the Britain we are rebuilding."
