Toad Hall demolition and Pontins replacement in new Ainsdale ambitions
Plus: Drug driving arrest after man left in critical condition, Southport Inquiry latest and battle for GP appointments
Hello and welcome to the 70th edition of The Southport Lead.
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On to today’s edition and it’s a packed one. For our main story, we’ve taken a closer look at Sefton Council’s new vision for redeveloping the area around Ainsdale beach.
There’s also a police appeal over a crash which left a pedestrian in critical condition; the latest emotional testimonies from The Southport Inquiry; reports of the battle facing Sefton residents trying to secure GP appointments; and, for paying subcribers, Andrew Brown’s what’s on guide to the week ahead.
Toad Hall facing demolition and council hopes Pontins will have the same fate
By Jamie Lopez
Toad Hall is to be demolished and initially replaced with a car park under Sefton Council’s newly unveiled vision to revamp the gateway to Ainsdale beach.
The century-old building was once among the go-to hotspots in the area and frequented by celebrities and footballers but has sat empty for years and become increasingly decrepit. Despite investment to make it safe and weatherproof just two years ago, the council says a recent survey has shown Toad Hall to no longer be viable for restoration.
Its short-term solution is to knock down the building and use the land for car parking to offset the frequent issues with congestion in the area on sunny days. Long-term, the site is earmarked for the development of a “purpose-built visitor centre and high-quality public space”.
Progress is also being made on the long drawn out attempt to find an operator to take over and redevelop the former Sands pub in a plan which is due to involve a new hospitality and visitor accommodation offering with improved links to Sands Lake.
Meanwhile, further changes are being considered to the actual roads leading to the beach which would include safer crossings, artwork and improved signage. The council also wants to see a purpose-built visitor centre at the entrance to the beach.
According to the newly published vision for a nature-led regeneration of the gateway, Sefton Council hopes to transform the area into a “vibrant, sustainable coastal destination that enhances visitor experience while protecting the area’s unique natural environment”.
No funding or timelines were made clear in the vision but Sefton leader Cllr Marion Atkinson local authority described the publication as being part of “exciting first steps towards making Ainsdale a flagship destination for nature-led tourism and regeneration”.
When approached by The Southport Lead, the council said it hoped to provide updates on The Sands redevelopment and work on a business case for Toad Hall’s demolition early next year. It also committed to publicising the full survey report which concluded that restoration is not viable.
Cllr Lynne Thompson has represented Ainsdale since 2016 and has lobbied to see the beach gateway regenerated. While frustrated about the lack of communication from the council’s leadership, she said she is pleased to see some of the suggestions of her and fellow Liberal Democrat councillors in Ainsdale taken on board.
She told The Southport Lead: “We’ve done a lot of work ourselves - the Ainsdale councillors and the Focus Team. We’ve done a lot of research and been to visit other towns. We’ve put forward various proposals.
“We’ve got to be very different to Crosby. We’re not in competition with Crosby and need to be our own place.”
Among the positives from her perspective are the focus on nature and improved hospitality along with improvements to the boardwalk around the lake and the plans to demolish Toad Hall.
Cllr Thomspon said she first called for the long-empty building to be knocked down in 2017 and feel frustrated at the time which has been wasted and potential funding which has been missed, including Government schemes such as the Coastal Communities Fund and other grants such as the Nature Towns project.
She said: “Having a vision, well we’ve been here before. I don’t want to be negative, I’m not a negative person, and I do think this is something to build from.
“My main question is the funding. We’ve missed out on so much in recent years which would have been ideal for Ainsdale. I sent all that [information] to the officers and they said ‘we’re looking into it’ but I don’t know how far they got with it.
“The question I ask is where’s the money from the Liverpool City Region? The town centre has had some, the Crosby Lakeside has had some. Well where is Ainsdale’s?”
The elephant in the room in all of these discussions is the Pontins site. It holds a dominant location at the entrance to the beach but for years has been widely perceived to give a negative impression to visitors. Now it sits empty but owner Britannia has more than a century left on its lease for the site and discussions so far have been minimal.
According to Sefton full vision document, its ideal vision for the site would see the existing structures entirely removed and replaced with a more upmarket offering. It described this development as being ‘integral’ to the entire regeneration project.
It states: “It provides the largest single development sites on the Sefton Coast and an opportunity to develop a much higher quality visitor accommodation and experience.
“Given the outstanding natural setting there is the opportunity to deliver new high quality visitor accommodation, attracting visitors from national and international markets and, boosting overnight and longer stays on the Sefton Coast.
“This in turn will contribute to the wider efforts to regenerate Sefton’s visitor economy by attracting more visitors and enhancing spending with a wide array of local businesses across the borough.
“Enhancing the supply and quality of visitor accommodation will also contribute to Sefton being able to attract and sustain more visitor events with all the associated benefits for spending with businesses, local employment and prosperity.”
In its place, Sefton hopes to see the site become a ‘world class visitor experience and accommodation offer’ with ambitions including to attract five-star accommodation and spa facilities which could operate all year round.
Cllr Atkinson said: ‘’These regeneration plans are about creating a sustainable future for Ainsdale that celebrates its unique natural environment while delivering world-class facilities for visitors and opportunities for our communities. A vision for Nature-Led Regeneration and a world-class offering is intended to reflect the feedback of residents and visitors over recent years.
“There is much to do over the coming years, but in the short-term we have opportunities to make immediate improvements. Toad Hall has sadly reached a state of disrepair that makes restoration unfeasible.
“For safety reasons, we had to conduct surveys via drone, which only confirmed the buildings condition. However, this does open up an opportunity to create new car parking that will benefit visitors and reduce pressure on residents at busy periods. We’re also pleased to be close to securing an agreement on the Sands, which will bring most welcome investment to that asset.
“Engagement with the leaseholder regarding the Pontins site is a priority to enable fulfilment of this vision, and we look forward to continued dialogue with them in this respect.
“These are exciting first steps towards making Ainsdale a flagship destination for nature-led tourism and regeneration.”
For Cllr Thompson, it is vital that this latest step does indeed lead to action. She said: “I hope that determination carries on. We can’t be knocking down Toad Hall, regenerating The Sands and on the edge of everything you’ve got the big question mark of Pontins. But I’ve also said to the officers I wouldn’t like to see everything held up for Pontins.
“If we can do little bits that might make people see that things are happening in the area and convince them to invest.”
Drug driving arrest after pedestrian left in critical condition
A man has been left fighting for his life after being run over on the Coastal Road.
The man, in his 50s, was hit by a white MG HS car near the public footpath by Selworthy Road and is now in a critical condition. A 54-year-old woman from Ainsdale was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving and drug driving.
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 8.10pm on Thursday and police are now appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
Sergeant Jed Ferguson said: “Although someone has been arrested, this investigation remains in the early stages and as such we keep an open mind about the circumstances and appeal for the public’s help to assist us.
“We believe there were other motorists who were driving past at the time who could have vital information to help our ongoing investigation.
“We want to establish the full circumstances of what happened, so if you saw anything please come forward. If you have dashcam footage, please review it just in case you captured anything that could assist. Any help we receive, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could help.”
Anyone with information is asked to DM Merseyside Police Contact Centre, contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on (0151) 777 5747, or email SCIU@merseyside.police.uk quoting reference number 25000754394.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Recommended reading
The Southport Inquiry has continued through the week at Liverpool Town Hall with more witness statements from those present and their families. Here’s some of the coverage from the past few days:
Survivor told mum and dad of moment 'she knew she was dying' (Liverpool Echo)
Teenage survivor describes seeing 'possessed' killer moments before being stabbed (Sky)
'To some I'm a hero and to others a villain, but I just did my best' (Liverpool Echo)
‘Impossible’ challenge to see GP worse than anywhere else in Merseyside
By Elliot Jessett
Patients in Sefton have the most difficulty securing appointments compared to anywhere in Merseyside or Cheshire.
Some reported that it’s ‘impossible’ to get a face-to-face appointment with their GP, whilst others have given up trying altogether. One person reported calling their practice more than 200 times – just to get in the queue to book an appointment.
This feedback was presented to Sefton Council at Bootle Town Hall on Wednesday September 10, during the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) meeting. The Healthwatch (HWS) Sefton GP Access Survey report looks at how local residents feel about their primary care services and was conducted between October 2024 and March 2025, gathering feedback from 689 people in Sefton.
The council report said the survey identified a number of the key issues including the common complaint that people found it hard to get appointments with their GP and expressed frustration about the phone systems and online booking.
According to HWS, only 50% of those surveyed eventually managed to get face-to-face appointments with their GP whilst the other 50% reported trying various methods to arrange appointments but could not do so. Out of all the surveys across Cheshire and Merseyside, HWS said Sefton showed the lowest rate of securing appointments.
The data also found nearly 69% of respondents used the telephone to contact their GP, but many experienced long wait times and interruptions. The average ease-of-access rating in Sefton was 4.9 out of 10, lowest among all the nine Healthwatch areas.
The published research from HWS also highlighted how vulnerable groups, including elderly patients, people with disabilities, and caregivers, faced barriers to accessing services.
Interactions with staff received mixed reviews, with almost half of respondents feeling dismissed or not fully heard, ‘especially during their contact with reception staff’.
The report stated: “Patients commonly reported challenges with the 8am booking system, which affected working parents and those with caregiving responsibilities.
“The ‘competition’ for same-day appointments often led to multiple call attempts and long waiting times, causing some patients to seek alternative care options or postpone seeking treatment.”
Healthwatch Sefton’s engagement and participation manager, Wendy Andersen presented the report, she said: “62% of respondent said they experienced a long queue time, and someone said they were calling repeatedly or sometimes making over 100 times and still not getting through
“From a patient’s view, they feel it’s stressful. They feel it’s first come first served.”
The survey also included quotes taken directly from patients living in Sefton, and published anonymously. On the issue of booking appointments, on person said: “I had to call 200 times from 8am to get in the queue, I wanted to see a qualified GP, [but that] seems to have become impossible.”
One respondent said: Even when calling at 8am and being told you are number 22 in the queue a few minutes later I am being told all appointments have gone.” Another patient added: “I’m terrified to be ill myself incase I need the services of this surgery.
“I’ve seen elderly patients in tears, begging for appointments with a doctor – they were told to go to walk in centre.”
HWS said it will monitor the impact of the ‘actions and activity’ generated as a result of the survey and its findings, and will liaise with the health authorities in each of the nine council areas it covers.
What’s on this week: September 14-21
By Andrew Brown
There’s so much to do in Southport this weekend and next weekend - where do you begin?
This weekend sees events such as the new Coastal jam musical festival, the Southport Sprint Revival, the 24 Hour Yacht Race, Southport Heritage Open Days and more, while the following weekend has attractions including the first ever Beer On The Pier Festival, the Southport & Formby Cruise Show and others.
Here’s what you can enjoy in Southport from Sunday, 14th September to Sunday, 21st September 2025:
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