Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Southport Lead.
We start today’s newsletters with some good news of our own. The Lead, which naturally includes this title among others across the north, has been confirmed as a recipient of the government’s Local News Fund. This money is exclusively designed to help with the long-term sustainability of local news and its award is recognition of the good work we’ve done so far - and the plans we have to continue growing.
What it means for Southport is a long-term commitment to providing fearless, independent local journalism and help towards reaching a bigger audience. Excitingly, it will also mean that next year we will publish our first ever print edition of The Southport Lead and host a live event - more details on both of those will follow.
We were just one of 50 publishers to receive the funding from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s Local News Fund and we could not have done it without the support of our readers - to whom we continually grateful. Although I’ve mentioned those extra plans, what will not change is the regular service we provide - regular editions delivered straight to inboxes twice a week.
To mark the occasion, we are offering our biggest ever saving with 50% off annual subscriptions to The Southport Lead. You’ll have to act quick to take advantage, with the Black Friday offer only available until the end of November.
“We’re delighted the government has chosen to back our work and we’ve been selected in the Local News Fund to ensure towns and parts of the country often ignored or overlooked by mainstream media are receiving our agenda-setting independent progressive journalism.”
Mike Harris, publisher of The Lead
For today’s main story, I spoke with Southport MP Patrick Hurley as he set out why he believes it is time for the UK to embark on a closer relationship with Europe - citing concerns that the economy is doomed to stagnation and that Brexit has failed the country.
Southport briefing
🏠 Plans to build dozens of homes on the site of disused council depot buildings have been formally submitted. A mixture of apartments and semi-detached houses is planned for the derelict site at Back Forest Road and all 36 will be classed as affordable housing. According to documents submitted with the application, the proposed development will comprise 17 one-bed Apartments, nine two-bed houses, four-three bed houses and and four two-bed houses. That total has been brought down from an initial 36 homes following pre-application discussions with Sefton Council. The application states: “Throughout the proposal, the appearance, scale and density have all been carefully considered. This has led to a scheme which responds to the local vernacular and to the urban grain, scale and density of the surrounding area, while addressing the site’s particular constraints as a previously developed, level-changing site adjoining the railway and Rose Hill.” The site is among four across the borough which Sefton Council’s cabinet agreed to pass responsibility for to The Sovini Group - the developer with which it has a long-term partnership to deliver 1,000 affordable homes
🤐 The body which regulates UK financial services did not warn investors about concerns over a Southport-based company which was later uncovered as a major Ponzi scheme. The Times reports that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) spoke with The 79th Group in 2023 and came to an agreement that the firm would no longer promote loan notes, something which failed to stop the company raking in tens of millions of pounds of property investment. Instead, the company was brought down by an anti-fraud investigation by City of London Police, though its owners have denied any wrongdoing. An FCA spokesperson told The Times the authority had decided a “police investigation was the most appropriate way to tackle this suspected fraud”. They added: “We must always weigh up risks before taking action. For example, considering whether we could put investigations - by us or other agencies - at risk. These decisions are complex and kept under continuous review. We sympathise with people who lost money to 79th Group and recognise the ongoing emotional toll.”
🚓 A suspected thief who was arrested after an incident in which a sign was thrown at a shopfront has been charged with multiple offences. Police were called to the Tesco Express store on Chapel Street and Sunday night to reports that a man had hidden two bottles of wine in jacket before leaving. Around 15 minutes later, someone believed to be the same man returned but was refused entry by security staff who had closed the doors. It is alleged that the man then picked up a sign from outside the store and threw it towards the front of the premises before making off in the direction of Southport Train Station. Luke Jackson, of Virginia Street, has now been charged with theft from a shop and criminal damage. The 28-year-old is further charged with five other alleged thefts from the Co-op on Cambridge Road, Boots on Chapel Street, and Sainsbury’s at Meols Cop Retail Park.
Southport MP Patrick Hurley backs closer EU links with warning Brexit has failed
By Jamie Lopez
Southport MP Patrick Hurley has welcomed the possibility of the UK rebuilding a stronger relationship with the EU as he warned that Brexit has caused major economic damage.
While there is no suggestion of the UK rejoining the EU in the current Parliament, the issue has reared its head again thanks to Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s comments on the value of a closer relationship amid negotiations for new trade deals.
Hurley, who was elected in 2024, has been supportive of those comments and speaking to The Southport Lead he argued that it was time to accept Brexit hasn’t worked and consider a “fundamental reset of our relationships with our closest neighbours”.