Knowsley Lift Services were appointed by Fusion 21 – A procurement organisation, to install a new platform lift in the middle of the Sefton Park Palm House.

Having a lift is essential for a popular tourist attraction like the Palm House, Sefton Park, which is open to the public 7 days a week.

It required a reliable, safe and easy-to-operate lift that could also meet the conditions of the building. Although the lift is inside the building, due to the humid nature of the palm house and after conversations with the experienced Gartec project surveyor Andy Jones and Steven Fitzgerald – Knowsley Lifts Director and Co – owner, it was deemed that the Gartec 7000XT External Platform Lift would be an ideal product for this project.

Unlike a standard internal lift, the Gartec 7000XT comes with rust proof guides and a ventilation fan meaning the conditions would have no adverse effects on the longevity of the lift. Other benefits included its energy-efficiency (using as little energy as a domestic kettle to run) and made from up to 95% recycled and recyclable materials, making it a great addition to the glasshouse.

To stay in keeping with the design of the building and the grand Architecture, the lift was finished in RAL9016 traffic white with glazed automatic opening doors and where possible, glazed shaft panels giving a clean and open look to the lift.

The project was managed by Knowsley Lift Service’s, Senior Technical Project Manager – Dave Tracy and Project Co-ordinators Helen Murphy and Sophie Morrison.

The Sefton Park Palm House is a Grade ll* listed building, the jewel of Sefton Park and an iconic Victorian Glasshouse.

The botanical collection has over 200 plants, some of which are extremely rare and one that is extinct in the wild. They are representative of 5 continents. The Palm House is a charity and popular visitor attraction.

Henry Yates Thompson was the eldest son of an important banking family from Liverpool and the great nephew of the founder of Princes Park. In 1896 he gifted £10,000 to the city to fund the construction of the Palm House. During the Blitz of May 1941 the Palm House was badly damaged. 

(Did you know, Knowsley Lift Services installed the highest platform lift in the UK? You can see this lift at the top of Mount Snowdon in North Wales)