Council warned over high rates of drug use among Sefton's children
Plus: Work begins on £50m project to reduce sewage overflows
Hello and welcome to the 68th edition of The Southport Lead.
Today’s issue looks at warnings which have been issued about drug use among young people in both Southport and across the wider Sefton borough.
We also have news of promises from United Utilities that a £50m investment in the town’s Wastewater Treatment Works will reduce the amount of sewage dumped into the waters off the Sefton Coast - we’ll be keeping an eye on that.
And for paying subscribers, Andrew Brown once again brings his events guide to the week ahead.
“It’s good that we offer young people support, but it’s not good that they need it”
By Elliot Jessett
The number of young people in Sefton receiving help for substance abuse is significantly higher than regional and national averages.
Warnings about the rates of drug use were issued at a full Sefton Council meeting this week through a report in which police also said the borough and its neighbours “have seen increases in knife crime incidents, cross border violence and exploitation”.
The Youth Justice Service (YJS) report showed that in 2024/25, 85 children across Sefton were offered substance misuse support and all engaged.
Furthermore, 34 children were referred to the Change Grow Live addiction-support charity and 28 of those children engaged. The remaining six children decided they wanted one-to-one support and intervention with their YJS case worker.
The report states: “The increase of support our children require is nearly 15%. Sefton YJS has two dedicated CGL Workers. For the North West region, the average % of children in YJS receiving substance misuse support in 24/25 was 31.3%.
“National figures show the percentage was 29%. This indicates that regionally and nationally, Sefton is significantly high above these averages.”
Responding to the report, Cllr John Pugh submitted an amendment which was approved by the chamber, which sought to add a clause acknowledging the large percentage of young people in Sefton – within the justice system – who have substance dependency issues.
Speaking on that amendment, Cllr Pugh said: “The actual figures in the report […] are quite stark. The percentage of child offenders or youth offenders who are offered support for substance abuse in Sefton is 74% and for the North West it’s 31% and for the nation as a whole, it’s 29%.
“The report actually says Sefton is significantly high above these averages, and that tends to tie in and chime in with what we’ve already discussed regarding an alcohol strategy. The fact that there are large numbers of young people being admitted to the hospital with alcohol drug related problems [shows] we have a problem in Sefton.
“It’s good that we offer young people support, but it’s not good that they need it, especially when you remember that the young people who persist in crime often are the very people who need persistent crime to feed and finance the drug habit.
“As we all know, there’s no shortage of drugs on Merseyside, and they’re probably cheaper in North Sefton than they are in inner city Liverpool. Members may also have seen, [it’s been found] that ketamine use in the city region is five times above the national average.”
Cllr Pugh added: “I believe locally, we have a specific problem, a serious problem, and a problem that needs a more direct focus. I’m far from suggesting that nothing has been done, because I’m sure members can tell me all sorts of good schemes that are designed precisely to address this problem.
“But what the facts tell us is that we’ve got to re-double our efforts and focus and above all, spread good practice.”
Cllr Pugh went on to retell a personal story about a chance encounter with a former pupil and the importance of effective intervention and support for those suffering from drug misuse, he said: “I was walking one evening, along a dingy, dark platform late on a Thursday night, several years back, and passed a group [of people] sitting in the corner.
“I walked past them with some trepidation, avoiding eye contact – the way you do. I got 20 yards when a voice rang out behind me: “That’s Mr Pugh”.
“I turned around to see one of the group leap up on the road towards me, a young man, probably in his 30s, unkempt appearance and certainly old before his time, “You used to teach me”, he said.
“I smiled, but I had no idea who he was, but he must have been to one of my social studies classes, a long time ago. He went on and said something that really did hit home. He said, “I enjoyed your lessons, particularly the ones on drugs.”
Adding: “That explains in a roundabout way […] that help cannot just be offered, it must be effective.”
Responding to Cllr Pugh and confirming the council would back the proposed amendment, Leader of Sefton Council, Cllr Marion Atkinson said: “I wouldn’t disagree with any of that. We will be accepting this amendment.
“We are working on a children’s and young person’s plan as we speak, and the mention today of ketamine that is included, it is a serious problem, you’re absolutely right.
“It’s a problem across the city region, across the country, because it’s cheap to get hold of. It’s cheaper than most other things, and that’s why young people are accessing it.
“That is in our children and young parents, and I’m hoping that we will get cross party agreement when we bring a motion forward about the ketamine issue for young people, and we get that support that’s needed.”
United Utilities promises to reduce sewage overflows through £50m project
By Jamie Lopez
Work has begun on a £50m project designed to reduce the amount of sewage dumped into Southport’s waters.
United Utilities is cattying out a two-phased project to upgrade the Wastewater Treatment Works in Crossens and says this will reduce the number of times that storm overflows operate in heavy rain.
The first phase will focus on g constructing and commissioning a 4,500m³ of stormwater storage to help reduce storm overflows and improve water quality at Sefton’s beaches – the equivalent of almost two-and-a-half Olympic-sized swimming pools.
A second phase is expected to complete by summer 2029 and will increase the site’s ability to treat more wastewater during heavy rainfall. The increase allows the return of the existing storm storage earlier which frees up capacity in readiness for the next storm event and replaces the need for further on-site storage.
Early works are already underway, including ecological surveys and site preparation.
Steven Kenyon, County Business Lead for United Utilities in Merseyside said: “We are committed to continuous improvement to our infrastructure, and upgrades to Southport’s wastewater treatment works is a priority.
“From increasing storage on sites to looking at bespoke solutions such as sustainable drainage and new innovative ways of treating wastewater to even higher standards, we are starting to see the impact our investment is making, and this is helping us make great progress in reducing spills and improving water quality.
“We continue to review our network and sites across the county to see where we can make further improvements which help reduce the number of times that storm overflows need to operate.”
What’s On This Week: September 7-14
By Andrew Brown
August and the school summer holidays may be over, but don’t worry - there is a packed September of events to enjoy in Southport!
We have an unbelievable weekend coming up next weekend, with the likes of the Southport Sprint Revival, Coastal Jam, the 24 Hour Yacht Race and more:
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