Labour and Liberal Democrat renew tensions after Sefton Council elections
Hopes of better collaboration with the two biggest parties look to be quickly over
Hello and welcome to The Southport Lead.
Among the stories of the local elections this month were Labour’s majority being reduced and the Liberal Democrats enjoying a major resurgence. The combination of these two factors raised some hope that the working relationship between the parties - which has often been difficult - could improve.
The first test of that came this week and the early signs suggest that hope was misplaced with the Lib Dems once again being critical of the ruling party’s willingness to open up to more scrutiny from other councillors.
Today’s newsletter looks back at Thursday’s full council meeting, which was overseen by a new mayor and saw the formation of Sefton’s first ever Green Group.
Southport briefing
🏠 Work has begun on the construction of 270 extra care apartments for older people and those with supported housing needs across Southport and Maghull. Some 141 properties will be built in a £50m development on Blowick Moss Lane in Southport, of which 118 will be apartments in the main extra care facility, 18 will be in separate, independent living buildings and five will be mews houses. The apartments will have one, two or three beds and housing association Torus has said that they will be available for affordable rent or shared ownership schemes. Both developments will have an on-site bistro and hair salon, as well as a communal lounge and outdoor spaces including landscaped gardens with bird and bat boxes and hedgehog houses. The housing association has said that it has incorporated “an array of energy efficient measures” into its designs, with solar panels on the roofs and all apartments having hot water heat pump cylinders and electric panel heaters. Managing Director of Torus Developments, Chris Bowen, said: “Providing high-quality, purpose- built properties for the area’s ageing population is vitally important. These two extra-care schemes will provide everything people need to live independently or with some additional support.
🇵🇱 Joanne Chamberlain, Heritage & Participation Officer at the Atkinson in Southport has been awarded the Polish badge of Honour to mark her work with Sefton’s Polish community. At a special event in Manchester to celebrate Poland’s National Day, Joanne was given the ‘Bene Merito’ medal by Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. The honorary distinction is awarded to Polish citizens for activities strengthening Poland’s position on the international arena or to citizens of foreign countries for supporting Polish communities abroad. Joanne has coordinated a number of projects with the local Polish community and other partners and continues to work with Polish and Ukrainian groups including Polish artists. Sefton has been twinned with Gdańsk since 1993, and Joanne’s ongoing work with local Polish communities continues to build on this important relationship and shared heritage, including in 2021 when she organised the Courage & Devotion exhibition which celebrated the lives of the Polish airmen who were based at RAF Woodvale during WW2. Joanne said: “I am honoured to receive this recognition from the Polish Consulate. I attended the event as a guest and was completely surprised to be called forward to receive the award. I am proud to support our Polish communities, and it was especially meaningful to share the moment with friends in the room.”
🚨 Two suspected drug dealers were arrested after neighbourhood officers carried out a stop search on Thursday. Officers on patrol saw a woman leave an address on Talbot Street who they believed was in possession of drugs and found her to be carrying a snapbag containing crack cocaine. Another man left five minutes later and was also carrying drugs. A subsequent search of an address led officers to the discovery of more crack cocaine, cannabis, cash, scales and snapbags, some of which had been hidden in a boiler cupboard. A 59-year-old man from Southport was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and cannabis, while a 40-year-old woman of no fixed abode was arrested on suspicion of possession of crack cocaine, possession of cannabis, and possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs. Chief Superintendent and Area Commander for Sefton Karl Baldwin said: “This was fantastic work by our officers who were on patrol in Southport and pro-actively investigated a suspected drugs transaction.Due to their quick-thinking actions, two suspects are now in custody and a significant quantity of Class A and B drugs have been seized. Drug dealing is a blight on our community, causes misery to families and often involves the exploitation of children. We are relentless in pursuing those involved in drug dealing and serious and organised criminality.”
🪨 WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre is set to open what it believes to be the longest stretch of continuous stepping stones in Europe. Currently under development and due to open at an unspecified date in the summer, the stepping stones will span an approximate 67 metres across one of the centre’s lakes, offering visitors a unique and immersive way to connect with wetland nature. The new attraction forms part of Martin Mere’s ‘Wet Meadow and Self-Guided Bug Hunting’ area, an interactive space set within a natural environment which opened in summer 2025. Works have already begun with the pathway in place, and the first stepping stones being placed down. After this is all complete, the water levels will be raised so that all but the stepping stones will be submerged under the water.
🐟 Five Southport chip shops have been named as finalists in the English Fish and Chip Awards. Chippy T, based on Ovington Drive in Kew, has been shortlisted for in three categories - Best Coastal Fish & Chips, Best Fish & Chips in the North West, and Best Fish Fryer; while Marshside’s Fylde Fish Bar is also in the running for the North West award as well as Best Dine-In Fish and Chips and Best Family Run Business. In the town centre, Jackson’s Traditional Fish & Chips is competing in the North West and Coastal categories, The Dolphin is named among the Dine-In contenders, and Harper’s is shortlisted for Best Menu. Jacksons of Hesketh Bank, Tarleton Village Takeaway, and Formby’s The Good Catch are also nominated for awards.
Old habits die hard at new look Sefton Council
By Emma Morgan and Jamie Lopez
Hopes of a better working relationship between Sefton’s Liberal Democrat and Labour groups were quickly dashed in the first meeting since this month’s local elections.
May’s vote saw Labour retain control with a significantly reduced majority, though it still has 36 of the 66 seats on the council. Meanwhile, the Lib Dems were resurgent in Southport where the party won 17 of 21 seats to see it remain the official opposition with a net gain of eight councillors.
The two parties have repeatedly butted heads in recent years with the opposition accusing the Labour administration of running a closed shop and refusing to allow other councillors to properly scrutinise its working, something strongly denied by senior figures.
The shift in numbers seen at the election had raised hopes that better collaboration could become possible in the near future, all the more so given no longer has any representation in Southport. However, the Lib Dems failed in a bid to see two of their members be made committee chairs at a council meeting this week and the war of words quickly restarted.
In a Bootle Town Hall meeting on Thursday, the membership of the overview and scrutiny committees was discussed, with the Lib Dems calling for Cllrs Iain Brodie-Browne to be chair of the adult social care and health overview and scrutiny committee, and Simon Shaw to head up the audit and governance committee.
Cllr Pugh said that this amendment was for the sake of “proportionality”, adding that it was “not about the merit of the nominees” as both committees have had “excellent” Labour chairs.
“But this is about the principle of scrutiny and separation from the executive”, he said, adding that in Parliament the select committees have chairs from opposition parties.
He said: “The Liberal Democrats are now 27% of the council, and a proportional system would give us at least one overview and scrutiny chair.”
“I can’t think of a good argument against it”, he said, adding that he would be “amazed” if any other councillor could offer one.
“I’m not denying that Labour councillors ask some very searching questions. The issue is the principle of scrutiny, which not only must be independent, but must be seen to be independent.”
His colleague Cllr Brodie-Browne added: “The elections we’ve just been through show there are great swathes of the electorate who haven’t confidence in this place.”
He asked Labour whether they were “burying your head in the sand and pretending it’s business as usual”.
Responding, council leader Marion Atkinson said: “I’m confused because we’ve just heard p…] Cllr Pugh talk about how good our chairs are […] and yet they want to change that.”
She accused the Lib Dems of “politicising things”, adding: “There are 36 of us and 17 of you, that’s where we are.” She added that people “voted for a majority Labour group, that’s it”.
