Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Southport Lead.
For those not fully familiar with it, it can come as a surprise to know just how extensive the history of the Smedley Hydro is. Once a school and then a major Victorian-era attraction, it was taken over by the government during World War II for use in birth and death registrations.
Almost 80 years on, it is home to some 1,200 jobs and is Southport’s second biggest employer. But that is under threat and staff there face years of uncertainty over a potential closure and what may come next.
Southport Briefing
🚓 A Merseyside Police officer who accessed computer records to snoop on criminal friends has been banned from policing for life. Christopher Hughes was given a suspended jail sentence earlier this month after being found guilty of unauthorised access to computer material and knowingly disclosing personal data without consent. The trial at Manchester Crown Court heard he maintained friendships with serious criminal gang members involved in drugs and guns offences for a decade while serving in the police and failed to disclose any such relationships. This included WhatsApp groups, social activities and trips abroad. After sentencing, Olivia Travis, a Specialist Prosecutor with CPS Mersey-Cheshire’s Complex Casework Unit, said: “Daniel Hughes is a former police officer who is now a convicted criminal. He abused his position to access sensitive information. He maintained longstanding relationships with offenders involved in drugs and firearms, which he deliberately concealed despite a clear duty to declare them. Hughes received training on the proper handling of police information but chose to ignore it. His actions demonstrate a complete disregard for the trust placed in him and for the integrity of the criminal justice system.” He was suspended by Merseyside Police after being arrested and after being found guilty he was sacked and added to the College of Policing Barred list.
👷 A café with remote control diggers in a specially made sandpit will open in the town centre next week. Named Digz’n Lidz, the new venture is having its finishing touches applied within the former Debenhams unit on Lord Street and has already attracted plenty of interest. Lorry drivers Danny Melia and Mark Gaudie, who are long-term friends and both dads-of-two, are behind the venture and have completed most of the renovation work inside the building. They said: “We’ve had no financial support, no grants. This is our own investment, plus a business loan, and our own time invested. We have real belief in what we’re creating here as somewhere that’s going to be very special. We’ve both been carrying on with our full-time jobs driving HGV wagons and then coming in here to work on building this place. Our families have been really supportive.” Digz’n Lidz is due to open on Wednesday 2nd September and talks are understood to be ongoing for potential tenants to move into other units within the building.
🌊 A restaurant has been forced to close by flooding for the second time in three years. Nellie’s was among the properties affected when a water main burst at Southport Road in Scarisbrick in the early hours of Tuesday. Fire crews joined United Utilities in responding to the incident and the road has to be closed off during while repairs and draining took place. In a post of Facebook, the restaurant’s owners said: “We honestly don’t know what to say. Following the devastating flooding last night, we are heartbroken to find ourselves facing this situation once again. After everything we have already been through, seeing our restaurant flooded again because of another burst pipe has been incredibly difficult. Nellie means so much to us, and the thought of everything we have built being affected like this is truly heartbreaking.” Thanking people for their messages of the support they ey added that they are still assessing the damage and their other restaurant in Much Hoole remains open and would welcome the extra customers during the closure. Nellie’s was forced to close when a burst main caused significant flooding in the summer of 2023 and it took almost a full year before it reopened.
Smedley closure could force staff into redundancy or retirement
By Jamie Lopez
Workers from Smedley Hydro will hold a rally amid fears for the closure of one of the town’s biggest employers.
Around 1,200 employees are based at the historic Birkdale building but face being relocated out of town under cost-saving proposals. It is feared that hundreds of staff with childcare or other commitments would be forced to give up their jobs and the town left without a pathway for skilled workers.
Having previously been both an educational facility and a hotel, Smedley was requisitioned by the government in 1939 and has remained in use by the civil service ever since. Having first been earmarked for closure in the 1950s, it was kept in use for the rollout of NHS numbers and is now home to employees from departments including General Register Office, HM Passport Office, the Home Office and NHS Digital.
On Sunday, September 6 the PCS Union will hold a rally in Birkdale Village to raise awareness of the situation and seek support from the local community. Although the Cabinet Office says no changes will take place until at least 2030, the uncertainty is causing alarm and distress among those working there.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a PCS rep told The Southport Lead that members feared for their futures and had doubts over the merits of the plan.
They said: “Our members’ primary concern is the impact any relocation could have on staff, particularly those with disabilities, health conditions, or caring responsibilities. Many employees rely on the site’s accessibility features, including disabled parking, onsite parking, and local transport arrangements, to enable them to work.
“We are concerned that reasonable adjustments may not be fully considered in any relocation plans and that increased travel times could make it difficult for some colleagues to continue working their contracted hours.
“There are also concerns about the wider personal and financial impact on employees. Some staff accepted Southport-based roles specifically because of the location and made career decisions based on working close to home. Others left previous employment to join the organisation without any indication that the site’s future was uncertain.
“For many, longer commutes would create significant challenges around childcare, caring responsibilities, transport costs, and work-life balance. Some members have indicated they may have no option but to leave employment, seek voluntary redundancy, or take early retirement if work is moved away from Southport.”
Staff at Smedley argue that despite its age it remains a “suitable, well-maintained building” where recent investment has included a new roof, new heating system and double glazing. They also pointed to its ability to provide an accessible environment for disabled employees.
The rep added: “While many members believe the proposal may be driven by the value of the land, we do not believe the full costs of relocation have been adequately assessed. These costs could include excess fares, redundancy payments, recruitment and training of replacement staff, reasonable adjustments for employees unable to use public transport, and the loss of experienced and specialist colleagues. Any business case should fully recognise these financial and operational impacts.
“There are also serious practical questions about relocating specialist equipment, services, and secure records from a site that has supported this work for decades. The potential loss of skilled and experienced staff presents a significant risk to business continuity and service delivery.
“Beyond the direct impact on employees, closure of the site would have a significant effect on the local economy. Southport has already experienced the loss of major public sector employers, including jobs from the Town Hall and the Tax Office.
“Many residents feel the town has been in decline for a number of years, and the loss of Smedley Hydro would represent another significant blow to local employment, local businesses, and the wider community. Staff contribute to the local economy every day by using shops, cafés, and services in Southport and Birkdale, and that spending would be at risk if jobs were relocated elsewhere.
“Members remain hopeful that the site can remain open in the long term. The building is fit for purpose, the workforce is highly skilled and experienced, and the site plays an important role within both the organisation and the local economy. We believe all options should be thoroughly explored, with meaningful consultation and transparency throughout the process, before any final decision is made.”
Built as Birkdale College, the building was extended to accommodate 140 visitors when John Smefley formed the Birkdale Park Smedley Hydropathic Company in 1876. It reopened as a spa the following year with Dr Barnado as the resident physician.
