Hundreds of residents in a Bootle tower block have been left without electricity and water, creating significant challenges for families and vulnerable individuals. The outage, which began on the morning of October 6, 2025, has affected all 123 households in Strand House, located next to the partially demolished Bootle Strand shopping centre.
Key Takeaways
- All 123 households in Strand House, Bootle, are without power and water.
- The outage started around 9:00 AM on October 6, 2025, also affecting parts of the adjacent shopping centre.
- Lifts are out of service, raising concerns for elderly residents and those with mobility issues.
- Utility providers Scottish Power and United Utilities have confirmed the outages and are investigating the cause.
- The housing association, One Vision Housing, has communicated with residents about the situation.
Widespread Disruption Hits Bootle Community
Residents of Strand House in Bootle experienced an abrupt loss of essential services on Monday morning. Power was lost at approximately 9:00 AM, impacting every apartment in the high-rise building and extending to sections of the nearby Bootle Strand shopping centre.
The immediate consequence was a complete lack of electricity for lighting, heating, and appliances. Compounding the issue, the water supply to the building also failed, leaving households unable to perform basic daily tasks.
The tower block is situated directly beside the Bootle Strand shopping centre, a site currently undergoing a major partial demolition project managed by Sefton Council. The cause of the dual utility failure has not yet been officially determined.
Concerns Grow for Vulnerable Residents
The outage has created a difficult situation for many of the building's occupants, particularly the most vulnerable. With the building's lifts inoperable, elderly residents and individuals with physical disabilities face significant challenges.
Impact on Daily Life
Carl Nichols, a resident of Strand House, described the growing frustration among his neighbours. He highlighted the severe impact on families with young children who rely on electricity and hot water.
"I’ve had people say to me they can’t even do a bottle for their baby because there is no power and no water," Mr. Nichols stated, illustrating the practical difficulties faced by residents.
He added that the mood in the building is one of agitation and unhappiness. The lack of functioning lifts has effectively trapped some residents in their homes, while others who were out at the time of the outage are unable to return.
"There will be lots of people stuck because of mobility issues," Mr. Nichols explained. "I know one fella who can’t walk so he won’t be able to get home now.”
Outage at a Glance
- Location: Strand House, Bootle (L20 postcode)
- Affected Households: 123
- Services Lost: Electricity, Water, Lifts
- Start Time: Approx. 9:00 AM, October 6, 2025
Official Response from Utility Providers
Utility companies have acknowledged the service disruptions and have begun investigations. Residents are awaiting further information on the cause of the failure and an estimated time for restoration.
One Vision Housing (OVH), the housing association responsible for Strand House, communicated with residents via text message on Monday morning. The message confirmed the power outage and its effect on the building's lifts and the shopping centre.
Updates from Scottish Power and United Utilities
According to the text message sent by OVH, the association is awaiting information from the energy provider. The message read: “We are anticipating an update from Scottish Power and will update you accordingly. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause and thank you for your patience.”
Scottish Power's energy information portal has since been updated to reflect the situation. The portal confirms an "unexpected power cut affecting the L20 postcode area of Bootle." It noted that an emergency response team was investigating and provided an initial estimated restoration time of 2:00 PM on October 6, 2025.
Water Supply Investigation
Alongside the power cut, the water supply issue is being handled by United Utilities. The company's emergency reports portal also confirmed a problem, stating: “We’re currently investigating an issue in your area which means you may have no water supply. As soon as the issue is identified, we’ll get the right team planned to fix this.”
Uncertainty Lingers Over Cause and Resolution
As of Monday afternoon, the specific cause of the simultaneous power and water failures remains unknown. The proximity of the ongoing demolition work at the Bootle Strand shopping centre has led to speculation, but no official link has been established.
The coordinated failure of two separate utility services is unusual and adds a layer of complexity to the investigation. Both Scottish Power and United Utilities are conducting separate inquiries to identify the root cause of the problems affecting their respective networks.
For the hundreds of residents in Strand House, the primary concern is the restoration of these essential services. The community waits for further updates from the utility providers and their housing association, hoping for a swift resolution to a challenging and disruptive day. Sefton Council has been contacted for comment regarding the situation and its proximity to the demolition site.