Southport business owners and local residents are being urged to add their voices to a campaign to restore direct rail links between Southport, Preston and Ormskirk.
Southport BID (Southport Business Improvement District) is inviting as many people as possible to email the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority after the organisation launched its consultation as part of the £710M-backed Local Transport Plan.
Last year a cross-party Business Case was submitted to the Government calling for the ‘Burscough Curves’ to be reopened.
The section of track has been dormant since direct rail links between Southport, Preston and Ormskirk were axed in the Beeching Cuts in the 1960s.
Reopening the Burscough Curves has since been seen as a priority to ensure Southport’s prosperity.
Southport BID is now urging as many people as possible to use the opportunity of the Local Transport Plan consultation to ensure that the scheme becomes one of the priorities of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Southport BID CEO Rachel Fitzgerald said:
“The positive impact of the reinstatement of the Burscough Curves cannot be underestimated.
“These suggestions would provide a huge boost to Southport’s town centre economy, drastically increasing connectivity with other areas of the Liverpool City Region and Lancashire.
“If you share these thoughts, please make sure your voice is heard.”
“Please email your support and suggestions to transportpolicy@liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk”
The new Local Transport Plan (LTP), which will replace the existing plans that were published in 2011, will be the city region’s fourth LTP, and help shape future improvements to the city region transport network until 2040.
Starting with a clear vision and goals, the plan will provide a blueprint for making the transport network safer, more integrated, more attractive, sustainable and accessible to all – which are the key pillars of Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram’s vision for a London style transport system.
It sets out what transport needs to do in order to continue to support communities, our economy and the Combined Authority’s wider objectives as a city region, looking at our overarching ambitions for rail, bus, active travel and more. It also recognises that we live in uncertain times, and where new technology is also changing how we work, live and travel.
Making improvements to our transport network would have a positive and direct impact on communities, including helping people to access new homes, jobs, skills, and everyday services, improving health and quality of life and moving people and goods in a clean and efficient way.
The plan will be designed to align with wider CA ambitions. For example, it will support the goal of making the city region achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 or sooner.
It will also help support recovery, sustainable growth and development in our city region in line with the CA’s Plan for Prosperity, Climate Action Plan and Spatial Development Strategy
The city region’s £710 million Sustainable Transport Settlement provides very welcome levels of funding to deliver the transport vision over the next five years, and this plan will be used to help draw down future funds to deliver the vision.
The consultation began on Monday 9th May 2022 until Sunday 31st July 2022. The draft first stage of the new LTP – a Vision and Goals document – can be viewed on the Combined Authority website.
To take part in the consultation, residents can email transportpolicy@liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk with their comments.
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
