The changing face of Southport
Including Les Transformation de Southport (part I & II), Marine Lake Events Centre, Southport Eastern Access Improvements Scheme + Andrew Brown's guide to what's on this week (£)
Hello and welcome to the 13th edition of The Southport Lead.
This week saw Sefton Council launch a consultation on its latest plans for regeneration in Southport. Dubbed ‘Les Transformations de Southport’, the proposals relate to aspirations to improving the townscape and physical connections within it.
In a bid to ensure people spend more time in Southport, it will also see the creation of new public event spaces. Phase One is already underway and can be seen in the area around Southport Market, with the consultation referring to Phase 2.
This plan is one of a number which could see a key area of the town redesigned or changed so I thought it would be a good time to take a look at all the plans currently under discussion or development.
Also in today’s edition are the latest headlines from across the town and Andrew Brown’s guide to the week ahead. If you have anything you’d like to see covered in a future edition, please get in touch using southport@thelead.uk
If you were to believe comments on Facebook, you’d be forgiven for thinking Southport is a town in decline with nothing but empty buildings and no plan for its future. The reality is very different, with activity ongoing both in terms of construction and planning.
As well as private investment bringing forward plans including the redevelopment of the former BHS building as reported by The Southport Lead, lottery funding supporting the regeneration projects such as restoring the old Leo’s building, public money is being used to make major changes to the facilities, infrastructure and appearance of the town.
It can be hard to understand exactly what the changes will mean so we’ve taken a closer look to see how the town and the experience of residents and visitors will be affected.
Before looking at those, there are a few things to clear up. The first is how these works are being financed. In 2021, Southport was awarded £37.5m in government funding through the Town Deal fund. This was among the largest given to any town, something seen as an indication of the quality of Southport’s bid. Additional funding has been provided through both Sefton Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
A second point is to answer a question which comes up frequently - why can’t the money be spent on restoring the pier instead? Quite simply, the answer is the council isn’t allowed to repurpose the money it was awarded. The funding was allocated for the specific projects within the bid and will only be released for these. At the time of the bid, Southport Pier remained open and was thought to need much less work than the £13m-£15m, with the £3m allocated by Sefton Council for new wooden boards believed to be enough.
That being said, it doesn’t mean that other funding for the pier works can’t be provided and our Save Southport Pier campaign remains ongoing.
Finally, many have asked about the reason for having a French name for one of the key projects - Les Transformations de Southport. This one has been explained by Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, who said:
“We all know the famous story that, while living in exile in Southport in 1838, Prince Louis Napoleon, later Emperor Napoleon III, was so inspired by the grandeur of Lord Street that he ordered Baron Haussmann to model the reconstruction of Paris on it.
“Les Transformations de Paris made the French capital the “Southport of the South”. Les Transformations de Southport will ensure we again fulfil the potential of our public realm spaces.”
Les Transformation de Southport - Phase One
You may have already noticed work taking place on this one with barriers up and construction ongoing in the town centre. When complete, this first phase of the wider project will see traffic blocked from a section of Market Street from the junction of King Street to create a new pedestrian-friendly zone outside the revamped attraction and opposite shops.
As well as being designed to increase footfall along the street, the change will create a new public events space to make better use of an area which is also seeing private investment through the likes of the opening of Connolly’s Bar in the former Coronation pub. The new paved surface will provide level access for pedestrians as well as service vehicles.
The plan includes planting new trees and adding floral planters and street lighting on Market Street, along with similar planters of Eastbank Street which will see sections on both sides of the road widened and have new pedestrian crossing installed.
On King Street, the pavement will be widened to provide more space for pedestrians and for use by businesses.
As in any such changes, questions will always be asked how this affects motorists and those changes can be summarised as follows:
Creation of a traffic free section on Market Street alongside the market, from the junction of King Street.
A new two-way section will be created to maintain traffic provision from Market Street to Princes Street
Introduction of a new one way traffic system on King Street, from Eastbank Street to the junction with Market Street
Introduction of a 20mph speed limit along Eastbank Street from the junction with Virginia Street to the junction with Lord Street
Marine Lake Events Centre
Perhaps the most headline grabbing change happening in Southport is the replacement of Southport Theatre and Convention Centre with a £73m replacement.
Many were devastated to see the old Floral Hall - which hosted stars of music, comedy and entertainment including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Ken Dodd and Bruce Forsyth.
But much like town’s such as Southport need to switch from retail and leisure and hospitality to meet modern demands, the aging and crumbling building was believed to no longer be capable of doing what was needed.
The Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) is designed to meet those more modern demands and will be capable of holding entertainment shows, theatre performances, conferences, exhibitions and much more. The theatre space will have a capacity of 1,200, while the conference space is designed to host 2,400 and there will also be space for offices, meeting rooms and dining facilities.
According to reports, the original 2026 completion date will be no longer met due to the change of lead contractor (a replacement is expected to be announced imminently) but there is no uncertainty surrounding its eventual completion. Once built, the centre will be manged by ASM Global, the company responsible for Manchester’s AO Arena, Wembley’s OVO Arena and the York Barbican among many others. According to ASM, the MLEC is expected to bring more than half a million visitors a year to the destination
The plans for the MLEC include it being accompanied by a UK-first water and light show on the Marine Lake.
Les Transformation de Southport - Part Two
Intrinsically linked to the MLEC development, Phase 2 of the Les Transformation de Southport focuses on the Promenade area surrounding it. The idea is to make it easy for people to walk, cycle, or take the train when visiting the flagship attraction, while still maintaining access for vehicles.
The council’s logic in encouraging active travel to the MLEC is largely down to the personal health benefits along with reduced traffic and pollution. However, it also argues improved public realms make the town more attractive and lead to more and longer visits to the centre, while ‘better design using greenery can also help with capturing rainwater and make the area more pleasant for everyone’.
Motorists will find themselves facing new restrictions (detailed below) if the changes are carried out as planned but Sefton Council says traffic modelling exercises have determined there will “no significant impact on traffic flow or congestion in the area, even during peak summer traffic conditions.”
A consultation is now under way for the plans, which in practice involve:
A ‘green spine’ will be added to the Promenade with cycle lanes running between the northbound and southbound carriages
The road will be narrowed to make it easier and safer for pedestrians crossing and using the public space
Eight pedestrian crossings will be added for people walking, some
will have traffic lights and some without
Parking on the Promenade will be organised on the south side with sixteen spaces available for cars
Designated spaces will be created for taxis, disabled parking, drop-off areas,
and coach bays to help people get to the MLEC
New ‘left only’ restrictions will mean motorists can longer turn right from Marine Parade to the Promenade or turn right from the Promenade to Marine Parade
The top part of Bold Street will change to only allow traffic to go southbound from the Promenade.
Explaining how access to Victoria Street, Bold Street and Bath Street will work from Promenade, Sefton explains: “Accessing these streets from the northbound carriageway of the Promenade will no longer be possible via a right-hand turn because of the central reservation. Vehicles needing to reach Nevill Street, the Promenade, Seabank Road or Lord Street will need to use alternative routes, including the upgraded Seabank Road/Promenade roundabout. This will allow drivers to access the southbound carriageway of the Promenade and turn left into the Bath Street area. Those who need to access Nevill Street will have to do so from West Street, Bath Street and Lord Street.”
In an unsurprising move, the proposed inclusion of cycling lanes has come under attack from Sefton Conservative Group leader Cllr Mike Prendergast who argued that “most people who visit Southport do so by car [...] It will be the same for the new MLEC, people like their cars and no amount of cycle infrastructure will change that.”
Whether that is a defeatist attitude, a denial of the need for active travel, or an attempt to target the low hanging fruit that is anti-cycling sentiment, it is an argument that will find an audience and one Sefton Council must be able to confidently counter.
Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said: “Part two of this exciting scheme will aim to make it easy for people to get the new MLEC, with safer routes and public space. We want residents and visitors to have better ways to travel between the town centre and seafront, and particularly focus on improving connections for those opting to cycle or walk.”
Southport Eastern Access Improvements Scheme
The final project is not related to the Town Deal funding but instead focuses on improving junctions and active travel provision in an area spanning Eastbank Street and Bridge Street to Kew Roundabout and connecting to Foul Lane and Meols Cop Station.
Phase one is due to be carried out this year and involves work at Bispham Road, Sussex Road and Foul Lane. Changes at the Sussex Road/Norwood Road junction include widening it to allow an extra lane of traffic for those turning right at three side of the junction in a bid to reduce queues.
At Bispham Road/Norwood Road, similar changes will be made in the addition of ‘right only’ lanes on Norwood Road. At Foul Lane, an improved cycle lane will be installed passing the old Park and Ride site, while the existing one by the tip will be removed and replaced with one which past Kew Roundabout but remains separate to the main carriageway. The mini roundabout which links the road leading to the tip and B&Q with access to Meols Cop Retail Park is to be replaced with a give way junction.
In work due to take place next year, Kew Roundabout is to be changed to add cycle lanes running around but away from the road (including a diversion through Meols Cop Park) and safer pedestrian crossings. The plans also include widening the carriageway on Scarisbrick New Road to extend the two lane approach in a bid to reduce queuing here.
Phase 3 does not yet have funding allocated but could lead to changes affecting: Castlemore Junction, Meols Cop Active Travel, Hampton Road Tiger Crossing, Virginia Street Roundabout and Bridge Street Junction.
News in headlines
Mum of Alice da Silva Aguiar remembers 'happy' daughter who loved to dance (Liverpool Echo)
New playground appeal in memory of Alice and Bebe at Churchtown Primary School raises £70,000 on first day (Stand Up For Southport)
Night in pub ends with man on run, another in prison and teen facing a life sentence (Liverpool Echo)
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What’s on this week
By Andrew Brown
There’s lots for families to enjoy in Southport on the final weekend of the February Half Term, with more happening in the week ahead.
Here are some of the many things you can enjoy in Southport this week (23rd - 2nd March 2025):
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