Tourism Minister visits Southport to learn more about multi-million pound plans to transform resort

Tourism Minister, Nigel Huddleston MP, heard about the exciting plans to transform Southport as he met local tourism leaders at the start of English Tourism Week (18-27 March 2022).

The Minister was joined by Southport MP Damien Moore as he visited Southport Pleasureland, the site for the proposed Southport Cove, and Funland in a show of support for Southport’s vital and vibrant tourism industry. 

Over 6,500 jobs in Southport are directly dependent on tourism, with 9.1million people visiting Southport in 2019, the last year before the Covid pandemic. 

There are plans in place now to dramatically increase that number. 

Last year, Southport was awarded £38.5 million through the Government’s Town Deal Fund. This money is being used to kickstart a substantial regeneration of Southport. 

Initial funding has already supported Sefton Council’s transformation of Southport Market into a vibrant new food, drink and events space, and Southport BID’s creation of the ‘boulevard of light’ with 300,000 lights along the Lord Street boulevard, installed by Southport firm IllumiDex UK Ltd. 

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston MP and Southport MP Damien Moore met Southport Pleasureland owner Norman Wallis. Photo by Andrew Brown Media

Next on the list is the construction of a new £75million Marine Lake Events Centre; a new Enterprise Arcade on Eastbank Street; and a new concept for the planning, layout, and design of Southport town centre, known as Les Transformations de Southport. 

The Town Deal is expected to attract an estimated £400million in GVA (Gross Value Added) in private investment, which is already starting to come to fruition. 

One of these investments is the £40 million Southport Cove development, which will consist of a hotel, spa, and 250 metre stretch of leisure beach, creating some 120 new jobs, along with an estimated 150,000 visitors per year.

The Tourism Minister and Mr Moore visited the Cove development site on Princes Park and discussed with co-founders Tony Howard and Tamlyn Stone the plans for the facility and timescales, and the impact that this project will have on the tourism sector in Southport.

Southport remains a major attraction for many visitors across the country, with events like the Open Golf championship at Royal Birkdale, Southport Flower Show, and Southport Air Show attracting millions of visitors each year. 

Southport Pleasureland reopens for the 2022 season this Saturday (26th March). 

Southport MP Damien Moore said:

“Southport Pleasureland and Funland are Southport icons, and are big draws for people coming to our town for a day trip or on their holidays.

“It has been really difficult seeing the terrible effect that Covid has had on these attractions over the past two years, and so I am proud that as English Tourism Week takes place, both sites are once again receiving visitors.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston MP and Southport MP Damien Moore met Cove owners Tony Howard and Tamlyn Stone at Princes Park in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Media

“I am also delighted that our £38.5 million Southport Town Deal is helping to breathe life back into our town, and in particular has helped make the case for the Southport Cove development to begin.

“The owners have some really exciting plans for this development, and I can’t wait to see it in its finished form.

“I urge everyone in Southport to celebrate these businesses that make our local area so fantastic not just in English Tourism Week, but year round, as we help build back better from the pandemic and make a success of the Southport Town Deal.”

Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com