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Author: Ollie Cowan

The Atkinson to light up in Union Flag colours to celebrate King’s Coronation

20 April 2023
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Borough Of Culture, Business and Economy, Essential Sefton, Front Page, Latest News

Communities across Sefton will be flying the flag and raising a tea cup or glass for the King’s Coronation next month, with more than 40 community-led street parties around the Borough.

Union flags will also fly from Southport, Waterloo and Bootle Town Halls while The Atkinson, Southport will be illuminated in the iconic red, white and blue colours of the UK.

Forty-eight of Sefton’s residential streets will be closed off as neighbourhoods come together in a show of community spirit to mark the Coronation of King Charles III.

From Southport to Seaforth and Blowick to Bootle, streets will be decorated in patriotic colours over the Bank Holiday weekend, which takes place from Saturday 6th to Monday 8th May.

Many other informal gatherings are also being planned in cul-de-sacs, driveways and gardens.

Sefton Council’s Highways team have been working hard to process and approve the 48 street closures. This involves a detailed traffic assessment to ensure any disruptions to the network are kept to a minimum.

Andrea Watts, Sefton Council’s Executive Director for People, said: “The Bank Holiday provides a fantastic opportunity for our wonderful and caring communities to come together and celebrate a once in-a-lifetime occasion.

“I know that many of our street parties will also be about coming together to celebrate Sefton’s wonderful community spirit and the kindhearted nature of our neighbours, as well as marking the King’s Coronation.

“I hope everyone enjoys themselves celebrate while staying safe and respecting the beautiful Borough that we call home.”

Peter Moore, Sefton Council’s Head of Highways and Public Protection, said: “I am very proud of our hard-working Highways Team who have processed and detailed all of these applications so that street parties can take place safely while at the same time minimising the impact any closures may have on traffic.

“Organisers have been given lots of advice and toolkits on how to host a successful street party and we cannot wait to see lots of pictures of people enjoying themselves.

“All I would ask is anyone attending a street party makes sure they look after the area where they live and clean up any litter that may get left behind.”

The deadline to apply for a Coronation street party has now passed.

HMS Mersey Parade in Bootle on Sunday 16th April – All You Need To Know

14 April 2023
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Borough Of Culture, Essential Sefton, Featured Friendship News

mayor of Sefton and members of HMS Mersey's crew at Bootle Town Hall.Naval officers from HMS Mersey will parade through the streets of Bootle this Sunday with ‘drums beating and bayonets fixed’ as the ship celebrates being bestowed with the Freedom of the Borough of Sefton

Freedom of the Borough

The historic Freedom of the Borough award was presented to the ship’s command on Thursday evening (April 13th) during a special ceremony at Bootle Town Hall, reaffirming Sefton’s historic links with the Royal Navy and HMS Mersey.

HMS Mersey, a naval patrol vessel, is currently moored in Liverpool as part of a four-day public celebration. Events began with the Freedom of the Borough ceremony and will end with Sunday’s historic 100-sailor-strong parade through Bootle.

Historic

HMS Mersey’s affiliation with Sefton was granted partly in honour of Captain Frederic John Walker, a World War Two officer who led command of escort ships from Bootle’s Gladstone Dock, during the Battle of the Atlantic.

Captain Walker also played a huge role in the D-Day landings of 1944, helping set up an impenetrable wall of escort ships to stop German U-Boats from attacking allied boats going to and from Normandy. This two-week blockade contributed massively to the Allied invasion’ success.

Commemoration

On Thursday Lieutenant Commander James Mitchell, HMS Mersey’s commanding officer of, and crew from the ship,joined  representatives of the Royal Navy and civic leaders to commemorated the Borough’s naval links which date back over 80 years.

And on Sunday more than a hundred sailors and Naval personnel will parade past Captain Walker’s house on Trinity Road, Bootle in a salute to his heroic exploits as part of the parade.

Route

The public are being encouraged to turn out in huge numbers for the once-in-a-lifetime parade, which will see HMS Mersey’s crew exercise their newly-awarded right to march through Sefton with ‘colours flying, bands playing, drums beating and bayonets fixed.’


Mayor of Sefton Clare Carragher said: “Our Borough, and Bootle in particular, has longstanding links with the heroism and dedication of our Royal Navy.

“It is poignant that the parade will pass the house of Captain Walker and I encourage as many people as possible to line the streets of Bootle to pay tribute to HMS Mersey, the Royal Navy and Captain Walker’s memory.

“I am humbled by the sacrifice of those who have gone before us and those who serve in our armed forces today. To be the Mayor who bestows the Freedom of the Borough upon HMS Mersey is an honour.”

HMS Mersey’s Lieutenant Commander James Mitchell said: “I am delighted that HMS Mersey is returning to spend time ‘at home.’

“On Sunday 16th April, we’ll be parading through Bootle and from all of the Ship’s company of HMS Mersey, we look forward to seeing everyone soon.”

The Freedom Parade will leave Bootle Town Hall from the Trinity Road entrance on Sunday morning from 10.30am and march via Stanley Road, Merton Road and Oriel Road before returning to Bootle Town Hall.

A special open day is also being held on board HMS Mersey at the Pier Head, Liverpool on Saturday 15th April, during which the public will be touring the ship.

You can find out more about HMS Mersey here.

Grand National Travel Advice 2023 | All You Need To Know

12 April 2023
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Uncategorized

Sefton is once again preparing to welcome thousands of visitors to the Borough for the three-day Aintree Grand National Festival later this month.

Sefton Council is just one of the agencies that will help thousands of festival-goers get to and from Aintree Racecourse as smoothly as possible throughout the weekend of Thursday 13th to Saturday 15th April.

Travel

Working alongside Merseyside Police, Merseytravel and several other partners, the Council’s traffic management team helps coaches, cars, limousines and even horse boxes get to the right place at the right time.

The teams also help residents who aren’t attending the festival, and businesses who are potentially affected by it, to go about their daily business with as little disruption as possible.

A number of diversions and traffic management measures will be in place throughout the festival’s three days including temporary road closures.

You can find Merseyrail’s Grand National timetable information here.

Diversions

Local residents not attending the festival are advised to avoid the A59 Ormskirk Road from Switch Island through to the Black Bull junction.

Ormskirk Road, as well as Park Lane between Bridle Road and Ormskirk Road, will be closed between 4pm and 9pm on all three festival days. Heavy traffic is expected on the A59 from 10am – 2pm.

During the closure, traffic will be diverted via Switch Island, Dunnings Bridge Road, Netherton Way and Southport Road.

International

A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “The weekend brings thousands of racegoers, tourists and visitors to our beautiful borough and once again all eyes will be on Sefton as the home of incredible international events.

“We are working closely with partners to help keep the Borough moving during the festival and to keep disruption and delays to a minimum.

“People attending the race meeting itself are encouraged to use the Merseyrail network and alight at Aintree station.

“After racing finishes on both Friday and Saturday buses and taxis will be operating from Park Lane into Liverpool City Centre.

However, we would ask visitors who are in the region for a number of days to return to Sefton and explore our wonderful Borough and glorious coastline even further.”

HMS Mersey sails into Sefton for historic Freedom ceremony

31 March 2023
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Essential Sefton, Featured Friendship News, Front Page, Latest News
  • Naval officers will parade through the streets of Bootle
  • Historic Freedom of the Borough award will be presented to the ship’s command
  • Public are invited to see inside HMS Mersey

Sefton’s proud historic links with the Royal Navy are set to be reaffirmed later this month as HMS Mersey is bestowed the Freedom of the Borough.
 
HMS Mersey is a River-class offshore patrol vessel and the fifth Royal Navy vessel to carry the name. She will visit Sefton and Liverpool in mid-April, during which time the ship and her crew will be given the honorary Freedom of the Borough of Sefton. 
 
This will take place at a special ceremony on Thursday 13th April.

Civic Ceremony
 
Lieutenant Commander James Mitchell, the commanding officer of HMS Mersey, will be joined by crew from the ship, representatives of the Royal Navy and civic leaders to mark the special occasion, officially commemorating the Borough’s naval links which also date back over 80 years.
 
HMS Mersey’s affiliation with Sefton was granted partly in honour of Captain Frederic John Walker, a World War Two officer who led command of escort ships from Bootle’s Gladstone Dock, during the Battle of the Atlantic.
 
Captain Walker also played a huge role in the D-Day landings of 1944, helping set up an impenetrable wall of escort ships to stop German U-Boats from attacking allied boats going to and from Normandy. This two-week blockade contributed massively to the Allied invasion’ success.

Captain Walker
 
A portrait of Captain Walker, along with a series of wartime naval memorabilia, adorns the walls of Bootle Town Hall, which is where HMS Mersey will receive freedom status.
 
Mayor of Sefton Clare Carragher said:  “Our Borough, and Bootle in particular, is synonymous with the heroism and dedication of our Royal Navy.
 
“It is poignant that just a few hundred yards from our council chamber still stands the former house of Captain Walker and battle worn ensigns from dozens of naval ships hang proudly within Bootle Town Hall.

Humbled
 
“I am humbled by the sacrifice of those who have gone before us and those who serve today across our armed forces. To be the Mayor who bestows the Freedom of the Borough upon HMS Mersey is an honour.”
 
HMS Mersey’s Lieutenant Commander James Mitchell said:  “I am delighted that HMS Mersey is returning to spend time ‘at home.’
 
“During that period, we’ll be receiving the Freedom of the Borough of Sefton and on Sunday 16th  April, we’ll be parading through Bootle. 
 
“From all of the Ship’s company of HMS Mersey, we look forward to seeing everyone soon.”
 
The Honorary Freedom of the Borough will grant HMS Mersey, as a Service Unit, the right, privilege, honour and distinction of marching through the streets of the Borough on all ceremonial occasions with ‘colours flying, bands playing, drums beating and bayonets fixed.’
 
HMS Mersey will be exercising their Freedom of Entry during their parade, which everyone is encouraged to attend.
 
The Freedom Parade will leave Bootle Town Hall on the Sunday morning and march via Trinity Road,  Stanley Road, Merton Road and Oriel Road before returning to the Town Hall.
 
A special open day will also be held on board HMS Mersey at the Pier Head, Liverpool throughout Saturday 15th April, during which the public will be invited to tour the ship.
 

Sefton appoints leading UK construction group to work on MLEC project

22 March 2023
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Business and Economy, Essential Sefton, Front Page, InvestSefton, Latest News

Yet another landmark for the Marine Lake Events Centre project has been reached after Sefton confirmed one of the UK’s leading construction firms to oversee the venue’s delivery.

The new Centre will be complemented by the UK’s first light, water and sound show in the town’s Marine Lake.

Comprehensive

Following a comprehensive tender process,  Kier Group, one of the UK’s largest construction and infrastructure companies, have been identified as the preferred contractor to work on the Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) project. Kier will now enter into a pre-construction services agreement with Sefton Council, in advance of full contract later in 2023.

This vital stage in the Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) and Water & Lights Show project follows a series of huge milestones for the scheme, including the appointment of venue management experts ASM Global and £73 million pound business case approved by Sefton Council, by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, and by Government.

As part of the Marine Lake Events Centre project Kier and other partners have also signed up to a special social value plan which will see them give back to communities across Sefton.

Social Value

This will include providing local employment and supply chain opportunities, along with additional time and resources dedicated to working with school and college students who want to explore careers in the construction industry.

Overwhelming support has already been shown for the transformational project, which will see a brand new state of the art events centre and accompanying water and light show built on the site of the former Southport Theatre.

Sefton Council and the Southport Town Deal team have been congratulated by Government on ‘an ambitious project for the benefit’ of Southport and the Liverpool City Region, which will see a total of £73 million of funding invested into the project.

Funding

Mayor Steve Rotheram, and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (CA) recently approved £17.7m funding for the new Marine Lake Events Centre. This was on top of £2.3m the CA had already committed to the pre-development work.

A planning application for the project has been submitted and is expected by be considered by Planning Committee in Spring 2023.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: “By awarding preferred status to Kier we are putting the physical creation of the venue into the hands of a proven contractor with a strong track record.

“The interest of the UK’s leading construction firms in the project, and the standing of the successful bidder, reaffirms the scale of ambition for the future of Southport that this transformational project demonstrates.

“The end goal is a fully flexible, scalable cultural space capable of staging concerts, stand-up comedy, family shows, musical theatre, conferences, exhibitions that is the envy of other towns and cities.

“Kier share in the ambitions of Sefton Council and the Southport Town Deal in making MLEC a soaring success.

“The MLEC, together with the Light Fantastic, is forecast to attract more than half a million additional visitors to Southport year on year and generating an annual £18 million for the local economy and I am delighted that Sefton Council is once again leading the way in exciting projects like this.”

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