Save Southport Pier - sign our petition and join the campaign
Plus: Bar's improvement plan and foster care plea
Hello and welcome to the second edition of The Southport Lead. I have to start by saying a huge thank you for all the kind words and messages of encouragement which greeted Sunday’s launch issue. If you’ve not read that edition - which focused on the future of the iconic Broadhursts bookshop - you can do so here.
Today, we look at a landmark which has dominated the attention in the town for two years since its sudden closure - Southport Pier. Amid huge public support for the restoration of the attraction - which comes with an estimated £13m bill - we today launch a petition to save the iconic attraction.
Also in today’s edition is news of a Birkdale bar’s plan to improve its offering, the story of how one woman changed her life through foster caring and a round up of the latest headlines from across the town.
Save Southport Pier!
When Southport Pier was closed on safety grounds in December 2002, it was intended as a temporary measure and back then it was unthinkable we’d find it still blocked off more than two years later.
In that time, surveys have uncovered more and more damage and the most recent estimate to repair it stands at £13m. The longer we wait, the more that amount will increase.
The pier reaches its 165 year anniversary this year but unless there is a dramatic development, will almost do so without the public able to step foot on it. Today, The Southport Lead joins with Stand Up For Southport in calling for funding to be provided to restore and reopen the much needed landmark. Our petition states:
Southport Pier has been enjoyed by generations of families ever since it first opened in August 1860.
It is the second longest pier in the UK. It’s the longest iron pier in Britain.
It’s a unique feat of Victorian engineering, ambition and ingenuity.
Southport Pier stands proudly near the new Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC), a £73 million scheme which is being built thanks to Sefton Council, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Town Deal funding.
When it opens, MLEC will be a brand new landmark for our region.
It would be devastating if the first visitors see the new centre next to a closed Southport Pier nearby.
Providing the funding to restore and reopen Southport Pier will give Southport the massive boost our town needs.
You can read the full text and add your name to the petition here.
Support for saving the pier is overwhelming among residents, visitors and businesses. A recent poll on Stand up For Southport with over 1,700 people saw 97% respondents agreeing they want to see it reopened.
The issue also crosses party political boundaries, with politicians of all stripes wanting to see it open. Sefton’s Conservative leader, Cllr Mike Prendergast, recently wrote to the Government asking for support for its reopening, explaining “It is a crucial part of our Victorian heritage and a vital asset in drawing people to our town and supporting our local economy. Local businesses, especially those in our town centre and in the tourism and hospitality sectors, have suffered since the closure of the Pier.”
He continued: “For me, the restoration of Southport Pier is not just a local issue, it is a national one. Southport Pier is part of our country’s heritage, not just Southport’s.”
Meanwhile, Lib Dem group leader Cllr John Pugh has long spoken in support of providing sufficient resources to protecting heritage attractions such as the pier and the party’s recently elected councillor Mike Sammon said last week: “Everyone of all ages and backgrounds want to see it reopened, whether they were born Sandgrounders living here all their lives or have moved here to settle from abroad.”
The Labour-run Sefton Council has submitted a full planning application outlining how Southport Pier can be restored and leaders have repeatedly spoken about their desire to see it back open.
At The Southport Lead, we’re giving our full support to efforts to restore an attraction which has been loved for generations.
Please sign our petition below and Save Southport Pier!
Birkdale bar’s outdoor roof plan
One of the big changes to Southport’s evening scene over the past decade has been the move away from the town centre to the nearby villages. First Birkdale and Churchtown became a thriving spot for smaller bars, with Ainsdale more recently seeing a rapid burst of bar conversion and even Hillside getting in on the act.
A planning application submitted to Sefton Council could see one of those Birkdale venues improve its summer trade as the owners of Coast look to add a frame with a retractable roof and walls to cover its external seating.
According to the application, the plan is designed to "enable continued outside drinking and eating during rainy weather to take full advantage of the summer sunshine”. It adds that the cobblestone frontage will be retained under the plans.
Sefton Council will determine the application in due course.
Fostering changed my life - it could change yours too
By Elliot Jessett
A woman said a life changing decision twenty years ago has completely transformed her world. Leighann Carlton decided to act on that decision in 2023 after a prolonged period of questioning her purpose in life and said it’s the best thing she’s ever done.
Leighann, 40 is originally from Southampton and worked in children’s services for the local authority there before relocating to Southport in 2022. Shortly afterwards, both of Leighann’s sisters moved their families up to the North West and they now live a twenty minute drive away from each other and have formed a solid support system. It was then Leighann started to think the time was right to become a foster parent.
Nonetheless, the decision to start the fostering journey was far from impulsive, Leighann said: “So it’s actually been a really long time in the making. I made a decision 20 years ago, which makes me feel really old.
“Back in about 2006, I knew I wasn’t going to have my own children and I wanted an unconventional family and knew I was going to foster, but I had to wait until the time was right.
“We were on a family day out in December 2023 and somehow the topic of fostering and adoption came up, because my sisters knew that’s something I’d wanted to do forever. It was them that pushed me to do it in the end, because they said to me, ‘you’d make a really good mummy. Why aren’t you doing this?’.”
After receiving everyone’s support, Leighann contacted Sefton Council’s fostering service and made a tentative enquiry without any expectations. To her surprise, Leighann was contacted shortly afterwards and scheduled in for a meeting a few weeks later. She said: “So the year I turned 40, I wanted to do a number of things, and one of them was to apply and become a foster carer. A month after my 40th birthday, I went to panel and became approved as respite in emergency.
“For a while, I was wondering what my purpose was in life, because I got to that age where everybody’s asking you, ‘why aren’t you married? Why haven’t you settled down? Why don’t you have kids?’. I found my purpose in fostering and I found a way to fulfil the part of me that wanted to help and give back somehow. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”
However, it’s important to note the work of fostering can be challenging and involves working with young people from various backgrounds – some of whom have experienced difficult childhoods including trauma and abuse. Leighann said it can be an emotional rollercoaster, but also educational and rewarding. She added: “You realise there are so many thing we take for granted.
“In one placement, me and my family took two young people to the cinema and their reaction was joy and amazement. It turned out they’d never been to see a film before. Another young person had never been swimming in a pool. So you get to experience so many firsts that I wouldn’t assume were ‘firsts’ and then you realise, ‘Oh, they’ve never done this before’.”
One of the highlights of Leighann’s journey thus far was the two placements she had over the festive period. Leighann did her utmost to ensure the young people had as welcoming and happy time as possible and also realised the joy it brought to her own life, she said: “I got to go and think about what kind of gifts would they like and my sisters and their in-laws got them gifts so everyone was included.
“I haven’t got up at silly o’clock on Christmas Day for a long time, so it was all absolutely knackering but it was a really, really nice time. When they went home, it was a bit emotional and I was like, ‘it’s gonna be really quiet at home now’ but that’s part of the job.”
Sadly, there is an increasing shortage of available foster carers which has prompted Sefton Council to issue a ‘heartfelt appeal’ and asked residents to consider fostering this year. The council confirmed the need for foster carers has never been greater because more and more children are entering care system. As a result, the local authority said its capacity is almost full and revealed it needs 30 new fostering families by the end of the year to meet current demand.
Laura Farrow is Sefton Council’s Fostering Recruitment Manager and she wants people to know the benefits that fostering can bring to people’s lives and also show how inclusive it is and the support available: “Many people are passionate about fostering but worry they may not have the time or capacity to commit.
“The good news is there are options to fit a variety of lifestyles, including full-time fostering and respite care. Your support network – family and friends can also play an active role in supporting your fostering journey. We can help prospective carers find a role that fits their circumstances”.
Councillor Diane Roscoe, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care explained there are so many children who still need the safety and security of a home and hope the council’s appeal will persuade people to consider becoming foster parents. Cllr Roscoe added: “Our foster carers go above and beyond to create safe, welcoming homes, and we’re incredibly grateful for their exceptional care and compassion. However, we urgently need more people to give loving homes to children in Sefton. Every child deserves a safe and nurturing environment.
“Fostering is one of the most impactful ways to make a difference in a young person’s life. At this time of year when people are evaluating their lives, I would encourage anyone who has ever thought about it to get in touch with our fostering team to see if it could be right for you.”
News in headlines
Schoolgirl overdosed after sexual assault allegation, inquest hears (ITV)
Woman transforms parents' 'wonky shop' into 'dream' space (Liverpool Echo)
Red Squirrel 10k race announced for Ainsdale Nature Reserve with funds going to Southport Strong Together Appeal (Stand up for Southport)
Cuts to Northern trains on Sundays to continue as operator seeks four-month extension (M.E.N.)
Many thanks for reading this latest edition of The Southport Lead, remember, do sign the petition to Save Southport Pier and also spread the word about The Southport Lead too.
If you have something you think we should know about we’re on southport@thelead.uk
Jamie & Andrew