Author: Martin Driver

Next week’s meeting of Sefton Council’s Public Engagement and Consultation Panel will be asked to consider proposals for a consultation on the future development and improvement of Southport’s historic Botanic Gardens.

Long-term vision

If the report is approved, the Council’s Green Sefton service will be asking residents, regular park users, visitors, and the dedicated volunteer groups to steer the longer-term vision for the Botanic Gardens.

It is expected to ask people for their views on plans to restore many of the park’s Victorian buildings and help the Council to develop new attractions that would bring more visitors and generate income that would be earmarked for the park’s maintenance and management.

Boost

As well as offering better facilities for local communities, developing Botanic Gardens would generate a positive boost to the local visitor economy and support the creation of new jobs.

Improvements already underway include the ordering of two new floating fountains that will aerate the water in the lake, which are currently on their way to Southport from Italy, where they are made. Around £30,000 of short-term works, including the Botanic Gardens lakeside mural to be repainted by its original artist Robert Newbiggin are also progressing. Plans are also being drawn up to use recently raised funds to make further improvements.

Using the outcome of the planned consultation, Sefton Council intends developing a £5 million programme to improve Botanic Gardens supported by a Heritage Lottery Fund Bid.

Lottery Fund Bid

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said:
“Southport’s Botanic Gardens are incredibly popular and mean so much to so many people and carrying out this planned consultation would enable us to plan their future and together a Heritage Lottery Fund Bid that is in line with people wishes and views.”

Fundraising

The £8,500 cost of the new aeration fountains is coming from fundraising efforts from the Make a Change for Ben group. The Group donated the sum to the Botanic Gardens Community Association, a long-standing voluntary group overseeing maintenance and activities at the park. Sefton Council is overseeing the installation.

In November, Sefton Council announced that artist Robert Newbiggin will be creating a replacement mural that will adorn the lakeside area of Southport’s Botanic Gardens. Robert painted the current mural was around 14 years ago. It has weathered in the elements over the years and now Robert has offered his time, at no cost, to replace the mural. The new design will depict Victorian scenes within the park, reminding people of the history of the site and its inclusion on the Historic Parks and Gardens Register.

Details of the Sefton Council Public Engagement and Consultation Panel, which talks place at 10am on Friday 11^th March can be found here.

At their meeting on Thursday 10th March, Sefton Council Cabinet members will be asked to approve a new vision, and the plan to seek a commercial partner to invest in Southport Golf Links.

Golf Coast

Originally opened in 1912, the 18-hole, Council-owned, links course borders the town’s Marine Drive and forms part of England’s Golf Coast.

In the report to next week’s Cabinet Meeting, it is stated that the course remains popular, but with the right investment has the potential for significant improvements to the course and its facilities for golfers and non-golfers alike.

It is hoped an investment partnership would benefit the course itself as well as the on-site White House Café building, which aligns with feedback from local golfers received during a recent consultation exercise. Soft market testing carried out in 2021 indicates there are opportunities to explore investment through a formal tender process.

Pay and Play

As part of the proposals, the Council would retain management and operational control of the Southport Golf Links course itself, as a commitment to retaining it as a pay and play facility in a ‘municipal golf course’ manner. It will continue to be priced accordingly. There is also potential for a medium-term lease on the currently-closed White House Café for a partner willing to invest in the building. This would create new hospitality facilities for players and visitors..

The report also says that existing capital funds available via a prudential loan to create a driving range could be utilised as part of the project, as the intention remains to deliver new practice facilities on the site.

Huge potential

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “Limited Council resources, due to reductions in Government funding over the past decade, means that while we can maintain the Southport Golf Links, it really needs significant capital investment through a partner organisation. This would enable it to achieve its huge, long-term potential and deliver the kind of course local golfers have told us they would like to play on.

“Plus, it could mean the re-opening of the White House Café as an on-site hospitality asset.”

If the proposals are approved at the meeting on Thursday 10^th March, Sefton Council’s Cabinet would also be asked to approve the appointment of any potential commercial partner identified.

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “Sefton Council is keen to improve the offer for existing golfers and to give local people new to the sport, a chance to try it out.

“In January, we opened the new, £240,000 driving range at Bootle Golf Course and now we want to make similar improvements at Southport, on Sefton’s famous Golf Coast.”

Details of the Cabinet meeting can be found here.