Green and Clean

Closed 20 Jul 2020

Opened 29 Jun 2020

Contact

0808 168 8296

futuresouthport@turley.co.uk

Feedback updated 13 Nov 2020

We asked

Southport has the opportunity to bid for up to £50m of central Government funding as part of the Town Deal Fund, to boost economic growth and town wide regeneration.  As part of the stakeholder engagement for the submission, a  consultation exercise was undertaken to gather feedback on a number of Big Ideas that would inform a wider Vision for Southport.

Each of these Big Ideas included  a number of project ideas that we thought had  the potential to attract wider investment both from the Government and from the private sector. We asked what you thought of these Big Ideas and what you think we might have missed.

You said

The Town Deal Board received over 2,033 completed questionnaires, with 826 detailed comments from the questionnaires. In addition to this, we received 40 emails, 5 phone calls and 4 letters.

Following the online consultation, the Town Deal Board also engaged with a number of other stakeholder groups including university students, college students school children, visitors and local business owners.

A summary of all the responses received can be found in this report.Southport Town Investment Plan Consultation Report

We did

This engagement has informed the Town Investment Plan (TIP) which was submitted to government at the end of October 2020. Key points of influence from engagement include: 

  • The importance of the TIP including projects which enhance the appeal of visitor attractions including Pleasureland and the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre
  • The importance of developing a new attraction in the Marine Lake which will attract more visitors to the town
  • The importance of connecting the town centre and Waterfront
  • Necessity of finding new uses and attractions for vacant shops in the town centre. The importance that different areas and attractions are well connected via the public realm, pedestrian and cycling facilities
  • The need for the TIP to address seasonality in the economy. The TIP should also facilitate the attraction and growth of different industries to the town centre with stakeholders highlighting gaps in the business accommodation offer for co-working space and digital and creative industries
  • The majority of the priorities identified by stakeholders under the Green and Clean theme have non-Towns Fund delivery or funding routes. The consultation does highlight an important role that the Towns Fund can play in ensuring that major regeneration developments in the town centre and waterfront can be reached on foot and by cycling, thereby minimising the need for short vehicular journeys in the town

The priorities expressed by consultees that have not been included in the TIP  will be addressed using funding and delivery routes other than Towns Fund.

The Town Deal Board will continue the conversation with residents, visitors and businesses as the Town Investment Plan progresses.

Overview

 

 

Creating places for people to lead healthy lives and addressing climate change are two of the biggest challenges that we currently face. Southport starts from a position of strength. The coast, the parks, gardens and green spaces in the town all contribute to making it a healthy place to live, work and visit. Opportunities for walking and cycling within the town also helps people to stay healthy and active.

The masterplan seeks to invest in these healthy living assets of the town, while planning ahead to make future developments environmentally sustainable and carbon neutral.

What you’ve already told us…

  • The beach and the coast are really important assets and need continued investment to ensure that they are accessible and attractive to residents and visitors
  • The parks and formal gardens, as well as open spaces, are part of what makes Southport a healthy and happy place to live
  • Some parks require investment to ensure their quality is maintained for current and future generations (for example the Botanic Gardens)
  • The cycling routes along the coast and linking the town centre and neighbourhoods are good
  • Rail links to Manchester are poor and discourage more people from using public transport
  • There are no direct rail links to Preston and Central Lancashire, despite it being close to Southport

Big Ideas for Change

Our Big Ideas are described below:

1. Ensure major new housing and commercial developments within the town centre and Waterfront are designed to net zero carbon standard, to help the borough to transition to net zero carbon by 2030.

2. Use of public sector sites to generate energy, where appropriate, in line with the Sefton Climate Emergency Strategy.

3. Redesign of Lord Street to provide greater pedestrian and cycle priority, including:

  • A) Creation of dedicated cycle lanes along the entire length of Lord Street
  • B) Enhanced pedestrian crossing points at the junctions with streets / routes connecting the town centre with the Waterfront (for example Nevill Street and Scarisbrick Avenue)

4. Investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the town centre and as a feature of new car parking facilities

5. Development of modern interchange facilities that encourage greater use of sustainable forms of transport (including bus / train / pedestrian / cycle).

6. Provision of an electric shuttle bus (e-shuttle) linking the new interchange with the Waterfront attractions and Lord Stree

 7. Secure funding for continued improvement and restoration of historic parks and gardens for future generations (e.g. Botanic Gardens, Hesketh Park)

8. Secure investment in the leisure assets at Ainsdale-on-Sea and facilities serving the coastal attractions

What happens next

We will review all feedback received and use this to inform our bid for £25 million from the Towns Fund, which will be submitted to the Government later this year. This will be an ongoing conversation between residents, businesses, the Town Deal Board, Sefton Council and Government and there will be more opportunities to get involved.

Areas

  • All Areas

Audiences

  • Stakeholders
  • Local businesses
  • Local residents
  • Children and Young people
  • Councillors/MP's
  • Visitors/Tourists/Non-residents

Interests

  • Public Transport
  • Regeneration
  • The environment
  • Leisure
  • Planning
  • Tourism
  • Economic development