Southport Pier funding promise after fire hits structure
Plus: Memorial playground officially unveiled in honour of Alice and Bebe
Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Southport Lead.
Monday morning saw people across the town wake up to news of a fire which had hit Southport Pier. Perhaps naturally, the first instinct for many was to assume an arson attack but this proved not to be the case.
Now attention turns to what happens next as calls are made for restoration work to be expedited and reassurances are given over the government’s funding promise.
Elsewhere, today is a positive one at Churchtown Primary School as a memorial playground created in honour of Alice and Bebe is officially opened.
Southport Pier restoration not affected by fire
By Jamie Lopez
The fire which hit Southport Pier will not affect the promise for the government to fund its restoration and reopening.
An electrical fire broke out on the historic structure on Sunday night, with firefighters called to the scene shortly before midnight. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MRFS) found no suspicious circumstances and instead concluded the cause was electrical fault.
The fire spread across an area roughly 20m by 5m both on and below the pier as well as spreading to the cafe and it took around one hour for the main body of the fire to be extinguished. Crews remained on scene until 2am.
Despite the damage caused, with some boards completely burned through and further damage to the iron structure, there is a widespread belief that the fire will not affect the plans to repair and reopen the pier.
Earlier this year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the creation of a Growth Mission Fund and specifically named Southport Pier as one project which would be selected for funding.
Speaking on Monday morning, Southport MP Patrick Hurley remained confident that the pier reopening would progress as planned. He said: “I’m appalled to see a fire on the pier overnight, but am very relieved that the emergency services did such a good job of putting it out before it did too much damage. I’ll be speaking with the fire and rescue service and other agencies today to find out precisely how the fire started, and how we can all make sure this doesn’t happen again.
“Central government has now committed the funding to restore the pier and have it reopened and back to its former glory, so I’ll now be pushing for the work to start quickly to make sure it’s secure for generations to come.”
Meanwhile Sefton Council says it has continued talks with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) about the funding and confirmed that “any repairs necessary as a result of this fire will of course be factored into those works”.
The Southport Lead twice approached the MHCLG to ask for an update on the timescale for the funding but did not receive a response before publication.
Meanwhile, opposition councillors in Southport have called on the council to use its own funds or borrowing to press ahead with the restoration rather than waiting for the government to sign it off.
Cllr John Pugh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, said: “There is a clear case for getting on with the restoration without further delay. The council have told us they have the contractor lined up and that they are sure the government will provide some financial support and have £3 million already allocated in this year's budget for repairs.
“There is no longer any case for delay. Any cash flow problems can be dealt with by the normal process of internal borrowing within the council.
“To have contractors on site is the best insurance against further fires. To leave everything as it is until next year or later only makes the eventual task bigger. Corrosion is like cancer.
“The longer you leave it the worse and the more costly it gets and the Pier has already been sitting there with problems since it was closed by the knee-jerk reaction of Sefton in 2022. “
Cllr Mike Prendergast, Conservative group leader, said: “We cannot continue in this bizarre state of suspended animation in respect of our Pier. We’ve been told, with a lot of celebration, by Sefton Council and our town’s MP that we are definitely getting the money to have the Pier fixed but there has been no action.”
“A cynic might say we don’t know when, how much or what the criteria is for the announced funding and we are months on from the initial announcement. Yet with the apparent guarantees we have from government and the MP for Southport, there is no reason for Sefton Council to continue the delay in work starting.”
“If we are getting the money, just get on with it, start the work now if we know the money is coming. Funds can be reallocated internally if the council knows the money will be arriving from central government.”
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Playground opening gives ‘lasting legacy’ to Alice and Bebe
By Elliot Jessett
A playground memorial has opened today in honour of Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King, two of the three children killed in the horrific Southport stabbing attack last year.
The new space has been created at Churchtown Primary School and was inspired by the ‘joyful spirits’ of Alice and Bebe – serving as a lasting legacy to the impact they had on all those who knew them.
The playground is the result of a fundraising project launched earlier this year which has now reached more than £374,000 from over 13,500 donations. Churchtown primary’s aim was to build a space to honour the memory of its pupils Alice and Bebe and help support the healing process for their schoolmates.
Alice and Bebe, along with seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, were tragically killed when Axel Rudakubana attacked a class of children at a Taylor Swift-themed workshop in July last year. Eight children and two adults – Leanne Lucas and John Hayes – were also injured in the horrific attack, with Alice’s dance teacher, Heidi Liddle, able to protect one child by hiding in the toilet. Rudakubana, 18, of Banks, Lancashire, was sentenced to 52 years in prison for his horrendous crimes.
The idea for the playground was proposed by Alice’s parents as a way of honouring her life and her legacy at the school, and to provide a welcoming space for all pupils to enjoy. Churchtown primary said they were inspired by the ‘joyful spirits’ of both Alice and Bebe and the playground is a fitting tribute to them, and a ‘gift of play and happiness for generations to come’.
The outdoor areas have been designed to provide children with a ‘wide range of opportunities to play, imagine, create, and grow’. Each area has its own special purpose and includes a performance stage where the children can sing, dance, act, or tell stories.
There is also an adventure zone with ropes, ladders, and towers, a bike track dedicated track for cycling, scooting, and active play, and also a games space with facilities for football, netball, basketball and a variety of other team games.
The designers of the playground have also created areas for children to relax including a new library and a series of ‘hideaways and quiet nooks’ where children can chat with friends or take time out alone. The school said these spaces will help to support wellbeing by giving children the choice of ‘calm and reflective play’.
Dotted about the walls are a series of murals created by local artist, Tony Wynn, who is grandfather of two children at Churchtown primary. One is a recreation of Alice’s classmates’ artwork, displayed on the wall linking the Early Years and main playground.
Tony said: “It’s been, personally, quite an extraordinary experience to be part of and it has been a honour and a huge responsibility to help deliver this project.
“I really hope the children will enjoy the space and it will be great to see so many happy faces when they come in and see it for the first time.
“Nothing brightens you up more than the smile of a child. It changes so much, doesn’t it and it’s our job as parents, grandparents and educators to facilitate that.”
Benches have been placed nearby so pupils, staff and visitors can sit and reflect. The work is titled ‘Our journey for Alice’ and inspired by a poem compiled by headteacher, Jinnie Payne based on words written by Alice’s classmates.
Two further artworks incorporate ballerinas, bees, and butterflies — symbols important to the school community and to Alice and Bebe. The designs also feature words from a poem written by a Year 4 pupil, based on the theme of ‘Hope’.
Jinnie Payne, headteacher at Churchtown said: “I’m delighted that after months of hard work and determination we have made the Churchtown Playground a reality. Our children are going to love what has been achieved with the playground, which will serve as a lasting legacy for Alice and Bebe for generations to come.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the end result and would like to thank everyone in Southport and beyond for their amazing contributions to make the playground possible.”