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InvestSefton

Sell-out Fireworks show wows thousands at Victoria Park

26 September 2022
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Borough Of Culture, Essential Sefton, Front Page, InvestSefton, Latest News

Tens of thousands of people attended the 2022 British Musical Fireworks Championship in Southport’s Victoria Park at the weekend, with a sell-out show on Saturday!

Visitors were treated to a series of spectacular choreographed displays featuring fireworks coordinated to music, by some of the country’s top pyro companies.

Due to unavoidable bad weather conditions a decision was taken to cancel the Sunday evening performances and refunds will be issued for anyone who bought a ticket for that evening.

Over 10 tonnes of fireworks and two tonnes of explosive material were used over the weekend. Displays took teams of up to 15 technicians more than 12 hours to set up and required around five kilometres of wire to connect the electrical firing circuits.

The overall winners of the 2022 British Championship were Optimum Fireworks, who performed second on Saturday evening. Second were Selstar Fireworks and third were Rainbow Fireworks.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills has described The British Musical Fireworks Championship as “the perfect way to round off an incredible summer of events and investment in Southport and Sefton.”

She said: “Having been running for well over 20 years, the Championship is always a hugely popular event and brings in crowds from across the North of England for a unique and stunning experience.

“I would like to congratulate everybody involved in putting on this year’s championship, which was a fitting and fantastic end to our 2022 Sefton events calendar.

“It is a shame that we had to cancel the third night but we are powerless to stop the forces of nature and the safety of both our customers and operational staff remains our top priority.

“We look forward to welcoming those competitors who didn’t get a chance to show off their amazing displays back next year.

“As the season draws to close once again, it is also important that we acknowledge the huge economic impact these fantastic events have on our borough.”

Dates for the return of Sefton’s iconic events in 2023 have now also been announced.

The Southport Food & Drink Festival will kick off the 2023 calendar running from June 2nd – 4th before the iconic Southport Air Show on the weekend of September 9th & 10th and in just under a year’s time the next British Musical Fireworks Championship on September 22nd – 24th

More than 56 MILES of new decking planned for Southport Pier refurbishment

24 August 2022
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Borough Of Culture, Essential Sefton, Featured Friendship News, Front Page, InvestSefton, Latest News

More than 56 miles of decking boards will be used on the refurbishment of Southport Pier, the same distance as travelling from the resort to Stoke!

Southport’s 160-year-old Grade II listed Pier could be set for the significant upgrade in the coming months if up to £3 million for new decking is approved.

Charlie Chaplin

Since its construction in 1860, Southport Pier has been the focal point of the town’s seaside heritage. It has been visited by Charlie Chaplin, stopped at by steamers and was used as a base for searchlights during the Second World War.

And over those 160-plus years exposed to corrosive rain, wind and salt spray, Southport’s pier has, like all traditional seaside piers, required numerous repair and refurbishment.

At their meeting next week, Sefton Council’s Cabinet will be asked to provisionally approve up to £3 million to replace the wooden decking along the Pier’s whole 1.1km length. If agreed, the work could begin in late 2022.

Southport to Stoke

Such is the scale of the planned works, more than 56 miles of decking boards will be used in the refurbishment, which is the same distance as the crow flies from Southport to Stoke. 

Once approved at Cabinet, full council approval for the works will then need to be sought prior to any works being undertaken.

Constant effects of nature

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Skills, said: “Like many incredible open-air coastal structures, Southport Pier is affected by the constant powerful effects of nature.

“That plus the wear from the many thousands of people who enjoy walking along Britain’s second longest pier means large-scale works like we are proposing are needed to preserve the structure for generations of the future to enjoy.”

Repairs to the Pier date back to as early as 1890 and during its long history it has fallen victim to incredibly powerful storm damage, boat crashes and numerous fires in the 19th and 20th century. In 2018, extensive repairs and repainting works were carried out by Sefton Council to the Pier’s steelwork to combat corrosion from the sea. 

Iconic

Cllr Atkinson added:  “By replacing the decking boards in their entirety, we are protecting the structure for generations to come.

“Southport’s iconic pier is by no means cheap to look after but it is cherished by all of us in Sefton and by the town’s many visitors so I don’t think anyone could argue against providing it with this vital care.”

You can find out more about the highlights of a visit to Southport here. 

Have your say on Sefton’s new Economic Strategy

22 July 2022
Amy Hitchmough
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Categories: Business and Economy, Front Page, InvestSefton, Latest News, Local Consultation

Sefton Council has launched a public consultation to collect views on how to help improve the Borough’s economy for its residents, communities, and businesses.

Feedback from the consultation will help form a new Sefton Economic Strategy, the plan that looks at Sefton’s business and employment needs and sets out what the Council will do to help meet these needs.

Strategic economic growth is a key part of the Sefton 2030 Vision towards which the Council is working. This new consultation will enable the Council to understand better the needs of Sefton residents, business owners, organisations and investors, as it plans its Economic Strategy for the years 2022 to 2024.

Pre-consultation work has been undertaken, gathering the views on areas including employment and opportunities for work, business growth, investment, and social inclusion from a diverse range of people.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said:

“It is important to hear the views of the public, which enable Sefton Council to help create opportunities for the workforce and local businesses across Sefton.

“We recognise the importance of working with our many key partners and stakeholders from the private sector, communities, voluntary sector and local businesses. This consultation is for everyone, including those partners, and can help define our future.”

The Council is encouraging those living or working in Sefton, as well as business owners, organisations, entrepreneurs, and investors to share their views by completing the online survey at yourseftonyoursay.gov.uk

Please read a copy of the draft Sefton Economic Strategy before completing the questions:

Draft Sefton Economic Strategy document

Easy Read Draft Sefton Economic Strategy document

The consultation is now open and will run for four weeks, up until Wednesday 17th August 2022.

Welcome for local company supported by Council’s InvestSefton team joining world-leading drive to save lives and improve patient outcomes

13 July 2022
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, InvestSefton, Latest News, Uncategorized

Staff working on a patient in an in-hospital simulationSefton Council’s Business Support Team have welcomed the news that Southport Company Immersive Interactive has been acquired by world leading company Echo Healthcare Inc.

Pioneering technology

Founded 10 years ago by Southport’s David Salt and Chris Porter, Immersive Interactive uses pioneering technology to create fully interactive rooms and environments that can be used for immersive experiences.

Medical simulations can include in-hospital or hazardous emergency situations that enable teams to learn in a safe and controlled environment. In the education sector, multi-sensory interactive spaces can engage students on a whole new level.

Strength to strength

With support from the Council’s InvestSefton team, Immersive Interactive has gone from strength to strength making it one of the leading Immersive Technologies companies in the world. Recent installations include Liverpool’s St Georges Hall ‘The History Whisperer’ experience, and the new Immersive room at Southport Eco Centre.

Echo Healthcare say the acquisition of Immersive Interactive will significantly expand its healthcare simulation and education offering and further supporting its mission to save lives and improve patient outcomes.

Shared vision

Both firms will now begin work on a shared vision to create the world’s premier immersive interactive simulation spaces.

“By joining two amazing companies together we will immediately realise gains in efficiency, access to resources, and roadmap acceleration” added Chris Porter, co-founder and partner at Immersive Interactive.

He and David will be joining Echo Healthcare in senior leadership positions with the rest of the team joining the worldwide leader in immersive spaces and educational software, 

World-leading

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills said: “I am delighted that Sefton Council has been able to support David and Chris and the team at Immersive Interactive to grow and reach this point where they are becoming part of a world-leading initiative that will help save lives and improve people’s health.

“It’s great to hear of local success stories like this and I would encourage any Sefton companies seeking advice and support to grow in the Borough to visit www.investsefton.com and find out what our advisers we can do for them.”

Find out more about Sefton Council’s Invest Sefton service.

Visit the Immersive Interactive website.

Sandway Homes launch first Ainsdale show homes

12 July 2022
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Borough Of Culture, Business and Economy, Essential Sefton, Front Page, InvestSefton, Latest News

A show home at the Sandy Brook developmentSefton Council’s own housing company has hit a major milestone with the official launch of its first walk-in showhome at its flagship Ainsdale development.

Children from local primary school Kew Woods joined dignitaries to celebrate the launch of Sandway Homes’ flagship housing development at Sandybrook, Ainsdale recently.

Sandway is the local authority’s wholly owned housing company which is currently working on delivering 141 homes across three sites in the Borough, many of which will be affordable housing for local families.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, was joined by the Mayor of Sefton Cllr Clare Carragher and pupils from Kings Meadow Primary School to cut the ribbon on Sandybrook’s stunning on site showhome.

The three show homes at Meadow Lane are open between 10am and 3pm, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and by appointment on Monday to Thursday.  The showhome at the Hey Farm Gardens development is to view by appointment. 

You can find out more  about the Sandy Brook development and arrange a visit to the showhome here.

The event was also attended by Sandway’s partners including Homes England, Main Contractor Barnfield and Together Housing Association, who have acquired 15 affordable homes at the Ainsdale scheme.

The development is located on land next to Ainsdale’s Meadow Lane on the former site of St. John Stone R.C. Primary School.

It takes its name from the adjacent Sandy Brook, one of three watercourses which forms part of the Three Pools Waterway

Cllr Hardy welcomed the launch, saying: “This is a key milestone in Sandway Homes and Sefton Council’s journey into the housing sector and ultimately we aim to have 11,000 new, high-quality homes across the borough by 2030.

“Today’s launch event reaffirms Sefton Council’s commitment to redeveloping brownfield land sites into housing opportunities for our communities and we are keen to ensure a significant amount of these new homes are affordable housing for those trying to get onto the property ladder.

“By delivering attractive, high quality homes housing across the borough, these developments can only enhance Sefton’s quality of place and community.”

For further information please contact sales@sandwayhomes.co.uk

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