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Residents urge Sefton Council to come clean about plans for historic Salfordian Hotel
ACCORDING to Bond Media Agency, 1,300 people have signed a petition urging Sefton Council to reveal their plans for a historic Southport building. The Council's Cabinet is due to make a decision on:- 2 October 2025, over whether to acquire the Grade II listed Salfordian Hotel, Southport.
We are told that Salford Council actually bought the property in 1963, to provide sheltered and safe accommodation for residents and carers, despite the 48 mile difference, Recently, Salford Council approached Sefton Council with the idea that it should take over rgw building and continue the legacy of the Salfordian, providing a safe and supported environment. Coth Local Authority say that it has the potential to provide temporary accommodation for local households and residents most in need in Sefton. Despite the good intentions, it has been reported that local residents have slammed Sefton Council for a lack of transparency, and are saying that the Council has faild to consult them over the possible purchase of the building, which is located in Park Crescent, Southport, using taxpayers' money, and refusing to answer questions on what it would be used for. Their anger comes amid concerns that the 25 room hotel will be converted into a large scale HMO (house in multiple occupation) that could create a huge safeguarding issue, depending on who will be accommodated there, because of its location directly opposite Hesketh Park, used by hundreds of families and event organisers in the surrounding communities. And that anger has only grown after Sefton Council published an FAQ document on:- 24 September 2025, which confirmed that offenders leaving custody are among those who would be housed, and that consultation with residents would only take place later in the planning stage, after any acquisition has already been agreed. A residents' spokesperson said:- "Councillors have been told the building would be used to meet the region’s statutory duty to provide housing under Chapter 8 of the Homeless Code of Guidance, and while we fully support this duty of care, the practical reality of such provision needs to be made clear. This is not a small scale project but a major facility being imposed without engagement. It is unacceptable that a major decision about a heritage building in a landmark community location should be advanced without public scrutiny." The Salfordian currently operates under a temporary HMO licence, issued to cover a guardianship scheme that keeps the building occupied by working tenants, but that licence expires in:- July 2026. Residents say, faced with questions, Southport MP Patrick Hurley has failed to address concerns, later directing them to the Council’s own website, which previously contained only a short issue notice with no detail. The Council’s FAQ document has confirmed that the site would be staffed 24 hours a day. While this was presented as a safeguard, residents argue that this staffing model is used nationally for hostels accommodating people with higher risk and more complex needs, such as probation referrals, addiction and unmanaged mental health challenges. They point out that staff in such accommodation have no power to detain occupants, questioning how safeguarding can be guaranteed around the site, opposite Hesketh Park and overlooking Argyle Tennis Courts. Campaigners are asking the Sefton Council to:-
The spokesperson added:- "The Salfordian is not an ordinary development site, but a heritage building facing a public park where children play and teenagers gain independence. This is a family oriented community. Places like Hesketh Park should be protected in ways that strengthen safety and enrich community life, and the council’s failure to consult or explain its plans for the Salfordian does the opposite: it creates fear and mistrust where there should be openness and reassurance. We feel a big decision is being made quietly, and that’s not acceptable."
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