People are being urged to make the most of the final week to have their say on how Southport should look in the future.
A wider consultation is under way seeking local residents’ views on shaping the Southport masterplan – the blueprint for our town’s future – as well as Southport Town Deal, the Government scheme which aims to invest £25million regeneration funding.
The consultation was launched on Monday 29th June and runs until Monday, 20 July.
It is part of the first stage of the Towns Deal, which was launched by the Government last year. As part of the Towns Deal, Southport is one of just 100 towns across the country invited to bid for a share of the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Deals Fund.
Since November 2019 a number of conversations have taken place with local residents and businesses to discuss how that money might be spent if the bid is successful. Over two thousand items of initial feedback have been gathered from the Government’s #MyTown campaign, interviews with representatives of local groups and surveys completed by social media users. This feedback has helped to shape a number of ‘Big Ideas’ that will feed into the Southport Town Investment Plan, a document that will become the first stage in the process of securing a Town Deal.
These include: investment in Southport Theatre and Convention Centre; building a new Marine Village around the Marine Lake; making Southport the UK’s most digitally connected coastal town; creating a new rail, bus and cycle interchange; converting Southport Market into a food, drink and events hub; and transforming the former Beales department store into a cinema and dining experience.
Read More: New Marine Village around Marine Lake and lights displays among Southport Town Deal Big Ideas
Work on the Town Investment Plan is being undertaken by Sefton Council and overseen by the Southport Town Deal Board, a group made up of a number of representatives from key businesses and community groups in the town.
Rob Fletcher, Chair of the Town Deal Board, said ‘This is an exciting opportunity to invest in Southport’s future – the resilience of its economy and culture for the benefit of the community. Following initial conversations we have gathered feedback from residents, businesses and leaders in Southport. This feedback has helped us put together a number of Big Ideas and themes, which could help to guide the future of the town.
These Big Ideas aim to encourage more people to visit and stay in Southport, provide better opportunities for local businesses to grow, and ensure residents have every opportunity to make the best of our very special town.”
Consultation on the draft Vision and the Big Ideas for Southport will run from Monday 29th June until Monday 20th July – local residents, businesses and visitors are invited to provide their comments online at www.yourseftonyoursay.sefton.gov.uk/futuresouthport.
Those without internet access are encouraged to call the consultation hotline on 0808 168 8296.
Read More: Southport could be ‘back on the map’ through £25million Town Deal schemes
Rob Fletcher said: ‘This consultation is part of the first stage of an evolving process to unlock Government funding for Southport. The Big Ideas on the website present our initial thoughts; we encourage everyone in Southport to participate and share their own views on how £25 million could be used on projects in the town. The consultation will run until Monday 20th July. Following submission of the Town Investment Plan there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved during the next stages of the Town Deal and we plan to undertake further engagement in the future.”
Following the consultation, the Town Deal Team are due to submit a Southport Investment Plan to the Government later this Summer.
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