Yoga studio plan for historic pumping station overlooking Kings Gardens

Plans had previously been put forward to create a restaurant in the disused 1950s building

Hello and welcome to the 96th edition of The Southport Lead.

A common theme in this newsletter is the need for Southport to modernise its offering while simultaneously preserving its heritage.

We return to that today with a new plan to bring use back to the old pumping station - a concrete and increasingly derelict building which once served an important use and sits overlooking Kings Gardens.

Two previous attempts to convert the building into a restaurant have fizzled out without much progress so now a very different plan is being pursued.

In December, we are offering 20% off the price of a subscription if you make it as a gift to somebody else. You can read about our special Christmas offer here.

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Southport briefing

❤️ Tributes have been paid to a nature lover who spent two decades caring for the Sefton coast and providing opportunities for others to get involved. Chris Tynan died in November aged 60 having spent 20 years working to help the borough’s wildlife and 30 years volunteering with RSPB Liverpool. He was pivotal in setting up the parks ranger service as well as Natural Alternatives which offers development opportunities for those with additional needs and carries out projects including assisting the gardening volunteers at Rotten Row.

John Dempsey, senior engagement officer with Green Sefton said: “I considered myself lucky to have known Chris, having worked with him for the past 16 years. I had known him for many years before that of course, as we shared a love of wildlife which took us both far afield. His commitment to the protected landscape of the Sefton Coast and the wildlife that can be found there was obvious to all who met him, as was his “can do” attitude. Ultimately though, he was happiest spending time with his family, enjoying and celebrating wildlife on Merseyside and helping the community however he could.”

🏚️ Plans to sell of lodges at cemeteries, school and parks have been approved by Sefton Council. As reported previously by The Southport Lead, the properties for sale include homes at the cemeteries in Southport and Ainsdale as well as one each at Botanic Gardens and Victoria Park. The sales will be done by auction and this is expected to take place next year.

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Yoga studio planned to revive disused 1950s pumping station

By Jamie Lopez

The former pumping station next to Kings Gardens is to be transformed into a yoga studio and cafe.

The 1950s building had been earmarked for conversion into a restaurant but those plans have now been dropped in favour of an alternative usage as its owner instead looks to tap into the growing health and wellness sector.

Sefton Council revealed plans to sell the building in 2021 after deciding it was surplus to requirements with no significant operational use. Having been built with a main function of sewage removal, all associated equipment was removed when this use ended and its usage reduced to that of a storage unit.

In selling the property, the council hoped to secure a future for the historic building which, while not listed, is recognised as a ‘non-designated heritage asset due to its location in Kings Gardens, which itself is Grade II Listed.

While it has fallen into poor condition, the building carries significant heritage value and its ground floor opens onto Kings Gardens which itself is an important part of the town’s history and present. The green space was opened by King George V and Queen Mary in 1913, around 40 years before the pumping station was built and around 100 years before Princess Alexandra officially re-opened it after a £5.5m restoration.

A restaurant use was first mooted for the building in 2017 when planning permission was approved to convert both floors of the building but the plans were never followed through. A second plan to convert it into a restaurant was made public in 2021 but again has not made serious progress.

Now, a new planning application could see the site converted to a very different use with a ground floor yoga studio and upstairs cafe. In reports submitted with the application, owner Paul Halsall argues this change would tie in naturally with the roots of its location.