Cautious hope in Southport for Andy Burnham's plan to end rough sleeping
The intent is well received but more detail is wanted from those tackling the issue in Southport
Hello and welcome to The Southport Lead.
Once again, there is a new Prime Minister and with the change comes lots of promises. In his first speech outside 10 Downing Street, Andy Burnham made clear that a key priority is to end rough sleeping.
It’s a promise he’s made before in Greater Manchester and it is hoped it can be more successful on a much bigger scale when it is being driven from the heart of government. It is also an undeniably complex problem which requires long-term solutions as well as short-term ones.
In today’s main story, we look at how the promise has been received in Southport.
Southport briefing
🩷 People are being asked not to leave flowers at schools or Hart Street when it reaches two years since the Southport Attack. Instead, people are asked to consider making a charitable donation and are urged to reach out for support if needed. Sefton Council issued the request for no flowers in accordance with the wishes of the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie. A spokesperson said: “We know this will be an incredibly difficult time and many of you will be wondering how best to mark the date. Your compassion and support continues to be a source of comfort to all affected and unwavering acts of kindness have meant more than words can express. This period is incredibly difficult for everyone whose lives were affected by the events of the day, including those who rushed to support and our emergency responders. They remain always in our thoughts. It is the solidarity you continue to show as a community which will again shine bright in the coming weeks and we want everyone to know there has been an incredible amount of consideration, thought and planning given to how we all mark the date of July 29th going forward.” On Wednesday, flags will be raised at half mast and a three minutes silence will be held across the town at 3pm. The spokesperson added: “Our colleagues have been working with faith and community leaders to once again identify local spaces where you can go, within your own neighbourhoods, to say a prayer, light a candle, speak to someone or spend a quiet moment reflecting in whatever way feels right for you. We fully understand that many of us still need to grieve and to acknowledge the day and there is no right or wrong way to do this. Whether you choose to attend a reflective space, observe the silence, spend time with loved ones, or simply take a quiet moment to yourself, we encourage everyone to do whatever feels most appropriate to you.”
📝 The developer behind the stalled Southport Cove Resort has been awarded a contract to transform the site of The Sands pub by Ainsdale beach. GSL Developments has agreed terms with Sefton Council to redevelop the site by demolishing the old pub and building a replacement. The deal involves a five year period during which it must secure planning permission, demolish The Sands and build the new development and if all of this is achieved satisfactorily it will be given a 250-year lease. Tamyln Stone, GSL director, said: “We are delighted to be working with Sefton Council to transform such a high profile building, and to deliver a first-class hospitality offer that aligns with the council’s ambitious vision for the Ainsdale Gateway. We can now invest in the significant resources required to develop our designs, seek and secure planning approval, and to commence works at the earliest opportunity. We share Sefton Council’s ambitions for Ainsdale and its future and are delighted to play a part in achieving them.” The council declined to give any more details on what is proposed for the site, though documents seen by The Southport Lead describe it as being redeveloped for hotel and leisure use and says it includes an optional arrangement relating to the adjacent lake land. Councillor Paulette Lappin, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said: “This proposal will help address a long-standing vacant site while supporting our wider ambitions for sustainable growth, environmental enhancement and an improved visitor experience along the Sefton Coast.”
✅ Plans to turn a semi-detached house on Bath Street into an HMO for 10 people have been approved. The property sits within the Promenade Conservation Area, already has a licence to become an HMO and will involve no external work. The applicant, Premium Living, said it intends to offer “high quality, affordable shared accommodation to working professional people” and is committed to making sure it does not adversely impact on its neighbours. It said: “In many areas there is great concern about the effect HMOs have on the local community, this can be caused by density of that type of housing, noise and anti-social behaviour from tenants. The applicant believes that this is caused by the choice and standard of property. By providing a high-quality residence aimed at working professionals this problem simply does not exist.” Premium Living has promised to send a gardener and cleaner to the property weekly, and to visit communal areas just as often, carrying out quarterly inspections of all bedrooms. Sefton Council has a policy in place seeking to prevent an over-concentration of HMOs and flats by restricting conversions to no more than 10% of properties within a 100-metre radius but this does not include town centres. Granting planning permission, it concluded that the proposals would “be beneficial to the vitality and viability of the area, plus the overall regeneration aims for the town centre”.
Cautious hope greets plan to end rough sleeping
By Jamie Lopez
Andy Burnham’s pledge to end rough sleeping has been cautiously welcomed in Southport - with more information wanted to fully understand the plan.
The new Prime Minister made the promise outside 10 Downing Street in his first speech in the role. He said: “For too long, we’ve been told that ending rough sleeping will take decades or even that it’s impossible. I’m not having that. This is something a government can fix if it chooses to. Today, I’m choosing to.
“On my first day as Prime Minister, I’m announcing this government’s commitment to finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity.
“We’ll get to work immediately, bringing together national and local government with the investment needed to get it done. This is the kind of Britain I want us to be – a country where everyone has the security of a roof over their head, and where no one is left behind or written off. Let’s bring back hope.”
While Southport sees less rough sleeping than nearby cities, a big factor in that is the work done by local charities and outreach services. Life for Life, based on Eastbank Street, has operated for 36 years and provides help with homelessness prevention, outreach to rough sleepers, and referrals to emergency accommodation.
The charity’s CEO, Greta Fenney, said she was delighted to see the issue placed as such a high priority while noting the issue of homelessness goes beyond rough sleeping.
She told The Southport Lead: “We are keen to hear how the announcement translates into funding and or activity and how that could support the work of organisations like ours in helping to reduce the numbers of people who are street homeless whilst not forgetting the many more who are the ‘hidden homeless’ of the Borough, sofa surfing or living in crowded and inappropriate circumstances.
“We look forward to learning more of the detail in national and regional meetings over the next few months.”
Each year, councils across the country are asked to compile data on the number of people sleeping rough on a single night in Autumn. This snapshot does not provide a comprehensive analysis of homelessness - in part because it people who are in temporary accommodation or staying temporarily with friends or family - but is used as an indicator of the extent of the problem.
The snapshot showed that in 2025, 14 people were sleeping rough across Sefton. Not only is this the highest total since records were first taken in 2010, it is almost double the previous year.
In the government’s presentation of this data, it notes: “Rough sleeping is the most visible and dangerous form of homelessness and is caused by a mixture of interrelated structural (eg poverty, affordable housing), individual (eg relationship breakdown, mental health and substance misuse) and interpersonal factors (eg people leaving institutions, people with no recourse to public funds).”
Cllr Danny Howard was elected to Sefton Council in May’s local elections and had been working to improve the town centre long before then. Living in the area, he has championed the work done by Light for Life, often speaking with those who appear homeless, and says he hopes the support goes far beyond creating more shelters and factors in long-term solutions.
He said: “When I stayed in Manchester there’s tents all outside McDonald’s. When I say tents, you’re at maybe 10 or 15 and in Southport we’ve got little issue of homeless people but I’d like to learn more about the HMO issue and the vulnerable adults in Southport whether it’s drink related or drugs.
“The likes of Greta and Light for Life are a great team. I worked alongside them on Christmas Day last year at the Christmas Shelter. I got to meet a lot of people who are homed but are either drink or drug-dependent. It’s very complex and people like Greta have their work cut out with all the complex issues we’ve got inside Southport and Dukes ward.”
Cllr Howard pointed to good work done by groups such as Andy’s Man Cave in helping men with mental health problems and to a separate issue he has seen in which people staying in hostels are asked to leave during daytime hours. As such, he hopes the efforts to tackle rough sleeping will involve wider measures to support people long-term and look at why they become homeless in the first place.
“With Andy Burnham coming in and saying he’s gonna sort it out, I’d like to see how he’s gonna sort it out. I’d like to know the module of that and what are they gonna do after they’ve sorted it out. How are they gonna help these people back into society? Are they gonna get the adult care they need? Are they gonna get the skills they need to pay the rent or mortgage?”
