Southport BID project to ‘light up Lord Street’ now complete with 300,000 new bulbs

Southport is sparkling with a project to “light up Lord Street” now complete. 

Three thousand sets of lights with 300,000 individual LED bulbs are now illuminating both sides of the mile-length Victorian boulevard in a scheme led by Southport Business Improvement District (Southport BID). 

Visitors to Lord Street can enjoy a dazzling 20 miles of lighting strung across 80 trees.

The initiative aims to create a vibrant atmosphere in Southport town centre, supporting local shops, restaurants, cafes, hotels, bars and other local businesses as they look to reopen soon after the national Covid-19 lockdown. 

Southport BID CEO Rachel Fitzgerald said: “Lord Street is dazzling! It really is a sight well worth seeing. 

“This has been such a tough year both for our local businesses in Southport and for local families. 

“These sparkling new lights will give them a huge boost and a feelgood factor that is much needed as we look to build back from this Covid pandemic. 

“Our local business owners are working very hard at the moment getting ready to reopen within the next few weeks. 

“I hope shoppers and diners enjoy the sparkling new Lord Street when they return.” 

Southport Bid Tree Lights – Promotional Video – YouTube

This substantial project to create new lighting along the entire length of the street began in November last year and was completed by Southport-based lighting firm Illumidex UK Ltd. 

It was made possible through £100,000 in Acceleration Grant funding through the government’s Southport Town Deal initiative in addition to funding through Southport BID. Maintenance costs will be paid for by the BID. 

The lights are controlled by timers, which are currently set to shine between 6.30pm and midnight. The times the lights are on will vary depending on the time of year. 

Illumidex owner Steve Clayton said: “What has been created here in Southport is really unique in the UK!

“I don’t know of any other shopping street anywhere in the country which has lighting like this along both sides of a mile-long street. If you laid all the lighting end to end, they would be just a couple of miles short of the width of the shortest point of the English Channel. It really is spectacular. 

“We have had so much great feedback from people who have seen the new lights already. Hopefully they will help to attract shoppers back into town once lockdown ends, and a few new businesses as well.

Lights on Lord Street in Southport, provided by Southport BID. Photo by Andrew Brown Media

“The new lights are going to be a real focal point, and a great talking point. Visitors will go away and tell their family and friends about the amazing new lights we have here in Southport now.

“This is our home town. We are a Southport based company employing Southport people, we take on our apprentices from Southport College. We are really proud of what we have achieved.

“Southport BID is doing a really superb job to try and boost the town, we are really enjoying working with them.”

Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, Cllr Marion Atkinson, said: “I am delighted that this work is now complete and Lord Street looks stunning! Huge thanks to all our partners involved in the project.

“This is another welcome investment and good news for the town, following last week’s confirmation of £37.5 million award of funding from the Town Deal fund, alongside the council’s continued investment into a number of venues and projects in the town.

“The council’s hope is that the projects and initiatives the funding will allow us to invest in will attract more visitors to Southport, and what a sight for them to see our beautiful boulevard bathed in light.”

Southport MP Damien Moore was pleased to see funding from Southport Town Deal go towards providing new lighting along Lord Street.

He said: “This funding is an opportunity to present a vision not only of what we want for Southport now, but where we want to be in the future. This has always been my goal, to deliver a locally driven, joined-up package for Southport.

“I have repeatedly made the case for sustained investment in our town, both to Sefton Council and to central Government – investment attached to a long-term vision. That case was made much easier by the creation of the Southport Town board.”

Southport BID has recently launched the new Southport Gift Card as a way of encouraging people to support local businesses. For more details please visit: https://southportbid.com/southport-gift-card/

For more details about Southport BID please visit their website at southportbid.com or southportindependents.co.uk and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In on @southportBID