Inside The Open as opportunity and big money come to Southport
The Open is back and its impact is visible far and wide
Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Southport Lead.
When The Open came to the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in 2017, I attended on behalf of The Southport Visiter and nine years later I’m back in the media centre, one of a staggering number of large scale temporary structures which have been erected for the eight-day competition.
One change this time around is that among the hundreds of reporters, photographers and other media workers, I appear to be the only accredited reporter here from a Southport title. Rather than being in a section of local press, I instead have a station surrounded by specialist golf magazines and titles from the likes of Spain, France and Norway.
It says a lot about the decline of local news in that time period and if a major event like this does not have journalists from the town in attendance, then what of the much lesser known happenings? This absence is part of what The Southport Lead hopes to address and if you appreciate out work, please do consider taking a paid subscription to help enable it (and, as always, a huge thanks to those who already do so).
Southport briefing
🚑 North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is investigating concerns that staff inappropriately accessed the medical records of victims of The Southport Attack. According to the HSJ, which also broke news that staff at that dozens of workers at Aintree Hospital had snooped on records without legitimate reasons, reported yesterday that NWAS is investigating its own brief and that family members of the affected victims are aware. NWAS chief executive Salman Desai said: “We have identified concerns about potential inappropriate access to patient records and are formally investigating the matter. We will contact families and patients who may have been affected as our enquiries progress. Any inappropriate access to patient information will be treated extremely seriously. We are deeply sorry for the concern and distress this may cause.” The dad of one of the surviving girls described it as an appalling breach of trust.
📞 BT has again been defeated in an attempt to install tall advertising screens on Lord Street. The telecoms company has seen a second planning application seeking to replace a phone box with its more modern replacement which features a 72” illuminated screen on each side. Named BT Street Hubs, the installations have become common on high streets across the country as the company seeks to capitalise on falling usage of phone boxes. However, Sefton Council ruled that installation one outside of Westminster Tea Rooms would constitute an inappropriate development in the Lord Street Conservation Area. A planning officer’s report stated: “The hub would be an obtrusive, overly large structure which would be entirely out of character with the immediate townscape, with the finally detailed cast iron verandahs and the 19th century listed buildings. It is noted that two redundant phone kiosks are to be removed to the north outside of 219 Lord Street, whilst decluttering of the streetscape is welcomed, this benefit is then undermined by the installation of a further item of street furniture in the form of the large hub. While there are public benefits to the proposal, as indicated within the removal of the existing phone kiosks, the benefits do not outweigh the harm caused and as a result the proposal fails to overcome the reason for refusal.”
🚗 Multiple cars got stuck on Ainsdale beach after sustained dry weather left the surface unsuitable. Sefton Council announced on Monday it had temporarily closed the beach car park in order to carry out work to make the area more suitable for vehicles ahead of what is predicted to be another hot and busy week. The council said: “The recent spell of hot, dry weather has left areas of sand on the beach extremely soft, making it unsafe for vehicles. Over the weekend, a number of cars became stuck, so we’ve taken the decision to temporarily close beach parking while work is carried out to improve conditions. Contractors will be moving the top layer of loose sand to expose a firmer surface underneath, helping us get the beach ready for the rest of the week when visitor numbers are expected to increase. Due to this, there is currently no beach parking available at Ainsdale. Limited parking is available inland near Ainsdale Beach, and visitors may also wish to consider Crosby or Southport if visiting the Sefton Coast today. The beach remains accessible by public transport, including Merseyrail and local bus services. We apologise for any inconvenience.”
🗣️ Calls for action to support Queenscourt Hospice, Botanic Gardens’ aviary, Southport beach, and Smedley Hydro will be made at a full Sefton Council meeting on Thursday. Motions from councillors due to be heard at the Bootle Town Hall meeting include a request from Liberal Democrat Mike Sammon for the council’s chief executive to lobby the Health Secretary and local MPs to support the hospice’s fairer funding campaign and from fellow Lib Dem John Pugh to seek to protect both jobs and the historic Smedley building when the Government stops using it for functions such as processing passport applications. Another Lib Dem, Cllr Dan Lewis, is behind calls to divert funding to save the aviary - as covered in our previous edition. Meanwhile, Green group leader Cllr Neil Doolin will ask for action to preserve the remaining sandy section of the beach either side of the pier and for support in seeking in bringing Merseyrail into public ownership.
⛔ A serial criminal has been banned from locations in Southport, Birkdale, Ainsdale and further afield in Sefton after his latest conviction. Steven King, of no fixed abode, was handed a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) at Wirral Magistrates Court last week which includes restrictions on entering Lord Street, Chapel Street, Ocean Plaza, Sainsbury’s Local in Birkdale and Tesco Express in Ainsdale. The 42-year-old faces prison or a fine if he breaches the order which was issued as part of a new Pan-Merseyside Antisocial Behaviour Partnership (MASP) which was launched by Merseyside Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner. Chief Superintendent Karl Baldwin, chair of the MASP, said: “We understand the impact on businesses of anti-social behaviour and crime on our communities, especially those businesses who suffer loss, stress and inconvenience when they fall victim to theft. We know that the causes of antisocial behaviour are complex, and that it takes the right agency, at the right time, with the right approach to stop it. To achieve this, the golden thread is agencies coordinating their efforts, sharing information and tackling the problem together. When partners share information and use all the tools at our disposal, we can proactively take early, coordination action like this. When the public rightly asks ‘who is responsible for dealing with antisocial behaviour’, we are striving for the answer to be ‘we all are: together’. Keep reporting issues to us and we will take action.”
Inside The Open as opportunity and big money come to Southport
By Jamie Lopez
“Wow, this is some town you got.” Staying in a rented house around a 10 minute drive from the Royal Birkdale Golf Club, American tourist Justin is among the estimated 300,000 visitors to this year’s Open Championship.
Wearing merchandise he bought on a visit to the official Liverpool FC shop at the start of this trip to England, the 41-year-old spoke to The Southport Lead in the spectator zone at Royal Birkdale on one of the practice days which still attract big numbers.
While bemoaning the lack of air conditioning as Southport basks in a heatwave, Justin is very positive about his visit to the North West of England, from the scenic coastline to the friendly welcome and much more.
The international spotlight is back on Southport as one of sport’s biggest events returns to the town for the first time since 2017. Since then, economic troubles, the covid pandemic, and an unimaginable tragedy have affected the town and hit visitor numbers. There are high hopes that The Open can reverse some of those effects.
Within the spectator zone are bars, hot food, corporate-sponsored activities, and a 24,000sqft official shop. Inside there, the offering ranges from a £6 ball to £45 umbrellas, 70cl bottles of the official gin for £57, into three figures for clothing - including a £305 cashmere jumper - and much more for equipment such as a £400 golf bag. It is packed with a queue outside and, suffice to say, The Open is big money.
Ahead of the championship, Mark Darbon, chief executive of the golf governing body R&A, said the benefits to the wider region would be “really significant” with increased spend on “local goods and services, accommodation, bars and restaurants from visitors to the championship” as well as through marketing the area for future visits and direct employment on-site.
According to independent research commissioned by The R&A and Tourism Northern Ireland, last year’s championship resulted in an economic impact of more than £280m, well up from previous years. According to research by YouGov, it produced £191 million in destination marketing benefits thanks to global exposure in TV and online coverage.
Sefton Council’s tourism department has been keen to support residents and businesses through the championship, knowing how crucial an opportunity it is to have this many visitors to a town which depends on tourism. Among its information to business owners, it said: “The Open is one of the world’s largest sporting events and brings significant economic benefit to host communities. Its return to Royal Birkdale represents a major opportunity for Sefton’s businesses across hospitality, retail, accommodation, food and drink, visitor services and the wider local economy.”
At Birkdale, Jamie Kennedy, Director of Digital Content at Golf Digest, was among those singing the praises of the host club and town, also describing the wider area as “underrated” and eulogising about an evening playing golf in Formby during sunset. He said: “Birkdale is a great venue. It ticks a lot of boxes. Course, setting, area, visuals, layout, routing etc. It’s going to surprise and impress a lot of fans this week.”
From Churchtown to Ainsdale and beyond, businesses have been preparing for the influx of visitors. Windows in the town centre and villages have been decorated for the occasion and opening hours extended in a bid to capitalise on the heavy footfall and a long-overdue efforts to tackle weeds and clean up the surrounding area have been carried out by the council.
While most are golf themed as they look to attract, Sally Bee, from the Sally Bee Lifestyle shop in Birkdale Village, has dedicated one of her shop windows to the Elsie’s Story charity.
