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DON'T miss your chance to have a say on the proposed changes to Southport Promenade, with the delivery of:- "Les Transformations de Southport."

Sefton Council's new look Promenade concept design includes some major changes to the Promenade between:- Nevill Street and Seabank Road. According to Sefton Council this new proposed design will better connect the Town Centre and the Town's Waterfront, though the use of new public spaces, new traffic flow measures, new road crossings, plus a .

According to Sefton Council, the project will:- "Make it easier to walk, cycle, or take the train when making a journey to the soon to be built Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC). There will be new spaces for taxis, disabled parking, drop off areas and coach bays. This will help people get to the MLEC by these modes of travel."

Commenting on the proposed design, Sefton Council has said:- "We want to make it easier for everyone to access the new Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) and provide a better setting for the new multi million pound MLEC development. The improvement scheme is currently at the concept design stage, which is very early in the design process and people can help us decide what happens next. The development of the proposed design would be funded by the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, which is external funding from the Government. A notable priority for this funding is sustainable transport and economic growth. The Promenade proposal to support the Marine Lake Events Centre will help to achieve the funding expectations."

Unsurprisingly this new project idea is not universally being welcomed with many local businesses. Many businesses we have spoken to in the area have said:- "the investment is welcome, but it needs to be on projects that help the Town, and not ones that create more problems for us all." Others we have spoken to saying that the ideas:- "might look good on paper but in reality they will be extremely bad for the Town Centre." One business owner who did not want to be identified said:- "I do not want to be named as we will just be seen as being obstructive to progress, I do want to say that in my view this is a waste of money. Why do we need yet more cycle lanes? The ones we have are not used and putting them in the centre of the road? What could go wrong with that idea?" Another business, who also didn't wish to be identified added:- "We have an elderly population, with over 10,000 resident being over 75+ according to the the 2001 census. How will cycle lanes help them? We need better parking not cycle lanes. Plus the new traffic flow system will just create a logjam and make the traffic issues worse, especially in the summer or when big events are being held. The roads are in an extremely poor state of state of repair, so why not spend the cash fixing the roads and the damaged pavements, and not adding more problems to the mix?" Plus local residents in the affected area have also commented that:- "The idea that they want to introduce a 1 way systems on Nevill Street and Bold Street is dangerous."

Conservative Group Leader and Dukes Ward Councillor, Mike Prendergast, has also commented on the project saying:- "There are many aspects of the proposed scheme that I welcome. New and safer pedestrian crossings, better quality paving and tree planting are things that I believe will be a benefit and enhance the area.” However, the last thing we need along The Promenade is another cycle lane plonked right down the centre of the carriageway. I have been a councillor in Dukes Ward since 2021 and I can genuinely say that nobody has ever said to me wouldn’t it be a good idea to have a cycle lane down the middle of the Prom. Turning Nevill Street and Bold Street may also lead to longer journey times around the Town Centre that is simply going to put people off visiting Southport in their cars. Despite Sefton Council’s, seeming obsession, with pushing schemes designed to encourage cycling, active travel and the like, most people who visit Southport do so by car. It will be the same for the new MLEC, people like their cars and no amount of cycle infrastructure will change that: we would be far better focussing on the basics, fixing the roads and pavements and generally making sure the overall appearance of our town is improved rather than pushing these silly schemes that the vast majority of people don’t want."

So how do you have a say? Are you for or aginst the project? Do you think it needs any changes? Well, Sefton Council have said that:- "We are undertaking a consultation on the scheme concept designs to ensure the proposals are suitable for as many people as possible. We have already started talking to key stakeholders who may be directly impacted by the improvements and we are now launching a wider, public-facing campaign. We welcome all feedback and want to hear your views."

Local residents and businesses can put forward their thoughts about:-'The Promenade Concept Design Public Consultation' to Sefton Council on the proposals via Sefton Council's consultation events that are to be held at The Atkinson (PR81DB) on:-

25 February 2025, from:- 10am to 1pm.
5 March 2025, from:- 1pm to 4pm.

If you can't attend and want to have a say, do not worry. can you submit any comments or feedback to:- Transport.Planning@Sefton.Gov.UK, before:- 15 March 2025.

Please do let us know your thoughts, both good and bad, about this proposed project, by. emailing our our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:- Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter.

Interestinly in the 2001 census that total population of Southport is 90,336, with around 19,000 aged 16 or under, 60,000 aged 16 to 74 and 10,000 were 75+.