Asset sale needed for Sefton Council to set balanced budget

Lodges, land and public toilets are among those being sold at auction

Hello and welcome to The Southport Lead.

While it seemingly never stops raining, the days are getting longer and spring is finally on the horizon. As well as (hopefully) meaning I will stop complaining about the miserable weather, this time of year for a local news reporter also means attention will be drawn to council tax and budgets.

It is more or less inevitable we will see the maximum allowed council tax increase but even with that, Sefton Council is struggling to achieve a balanced budget while also restoring its reserves and now wants permission to sell off buildings and factor those proceeds into its plans. Today’s edition looks more closely at that and the war of words that has already broken out before the issue can be discussed at a full council meeting.

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Southport briefing

🚧 Snagging and maintenance works will see fresh road closures on King Street next month. The work is part of the Les Transformations de Southport Phase 1 and is described by Sefton Council as “part of a normal process”. Those works will take place over two weeks from March 3, and include up to five days of King Street being closed during off-peak hours. The council has also addressed concerns over water pooling on the newly completed areas during rainfall, stating: “Rain gardens and tree pits add to the landscaping of the area and are a key part of the sustainability and water management of the scheme. The gaps in the edging of the rain gardens ensure that water from the hard surface of the pavement and road drain into the plant bed and then slowly drain into a tank underneath. This then slowly releases water into the sewage system. This helps prevent the sewer overflowing and reduces pollution of watercourses from sewer overflows. As the trees and plants grow, these will also help absorb water, helping with surface run off and adding greenery to our streets. During periods of very heavy rain, some puddles may form until it soaks through the soil.”

🚔 Former Southport FC player Paddy Lacey has been charged in connection for the shooting of a man in Huyton. The victim, in his 20s, suffered serious injuries when he was shot in the leg on the driveway of a property on Radway Road last November. Raids were carried out across Sefton, Liverpool and Knowsley this week and the 32-year-old ex-footballer and boxer is one of four men to be charged. They are all accused of attempted murder; conspiracy to murder; possession of shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life; assault occasioning GBH; and conspiracy to cause GBH. Police are continuing to appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

🦸🏻‍♂️ A car park attendant has been hailed as a hero after saving the life of a much-loved grandfather. Liam Howard was on duty at the NCP car park on London Street when he spotted the injured and distressed man attempting to take his own life inside a parked car and rushed in to provide support and first aid until police and paramedics could take over. Four months on, the man is said to be doing much better and his daughter shared the story to ensure Liam received the credit he deserved. She said: “Liam was incredible from start to finish. He was a real hero and so professional. What a credit to NCP for such a wonderful, beautiful human being. A lovely man who will be a close friend for life. Thanks to Liam, we owe him everything and he needs to be known because he's incredible.”

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Council plots £12m property sales as budget pressures mount

Bootle Town Hal. Pic: Phil Nash

By Elliot Jessett and Jamie Lopez

Sefton Council is to ask the government for permission to sell £12m worth of assets before approving its 2026/27 budget.

The setting of the budget could be delayed pending that decision, with council chiefs concluding that they are currently unable to set a balanced budget and restore depleted reserves without factoring in the proceeds of those potential sales.

The Southport Lead has already reported on the planned sales of lodges outside cemeteries and schools and the latest list of proposed disposals include the former public toilets on Lord Street West. Others elsewhere in the borough include a Bootle car park and plots of land in Bootle, Thornton and Seaforth.

Sefton Council’s cabinet met at Southport Town Hall on February 12, where elected members voted to recommend the local authority’s Budget Plan for 2026/27, including the Revenue Budget, the allocation of specific grants, and its Capital Programme.

Part of that plan is to bolster the council’s general balances through those asset sales - known as a capitalisation direction - but as this will require the permission of central government, it may delay further decision making until a definitive decision is reached.

Although not yet publicly discussed, a maximum-permitted rise in council tax of 4.99% is expected in Sefton. While this is the case in most councils across the country, Lancashire County Council has proposed a 3.8% rise and Hyndburn Borough Council has frozen its tax rates after receiving an additional government settlement.

At the cabinet meeting, leaders acknowledged the council is facing a ‘challenging financial position’ but maintained their commitment to delivering ‘ambitious plans’, which they believe will create new jobs, provide more quality homes for local people, and attract more visitors to support the local economy.

The current year’s budget has seen a huge overspend which is currently forecast to be around £30m, with almost all of that relating to social care. Explaining this, a council report on the current and forecasted budget states: “The most significant pressure has arisen within the Children’s Social Care budget. Despite including growth in the 2025/26 budget, this has not been enough to cover off existing placements within the financial year.