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Sefton Council’s Public Engagement and Consultation Panel asked to consider plan for Southport’s historic Botanic Gardens

4 March 2022
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Green Sefton, Latest News

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.”

Southport's Botanic Gardens lake
Southport’s Botanic Gardens lake

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 11th March can be found here.

Sefton’s Human Libraries project success at Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards

4 March 2022
Martin Driver
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Latest News

Human Libraries AwardWorld Book Day was a bit special this year for Sefton Council’s Libraries service as they are celebrating a win at Wednesday night’s Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards.

Winner

‘Human Libraries’ a joint project with the Arts Council and Sefton-based not-for-profit company Rule of Threes was the winner in the Awards’ Covid Response.

After lockdown, Human Libraries, a programme of artist-led workshops, projects, commissions and happenings in community libraries in Bootle and Crosby, immediately switched online.

Despite restrictions, Human Libraries was still able to continue with blended activities, such as an online cookery tutorial. Participants were able to pick up ingredients from Bootle Library, which was closed but operating click and collect at the time and then take part in the online class. Staff supported residents by attending virtually, where they still all cooked together and enjoyed the benefit of social interaction.

Dedication

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said: “This success at the LCR Culture Awards recognises the dedication of library staff and artists who drove the project through the most difficult of circumstances.

“The innovative way the project changed its delivery was seen as a model of best practice in unprecedented times is a tribute to our won teams and out partners, Rule of Threes and the Arts Council.

“I want to congratulate everyone involved.”

Find out more about Sefton’s Libraries.

Sefton Council Leader says finances ‘resilient’ after budget meeting

3 March 2022
Martin Driver
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Categories: Business and Economy, Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council
Cllr Ian Maher
Council Leader Cllr Ian Maher

At a meeting today, Sefton Council agreed a Council Tax rise of 2.99%, which will mean an extra 66p per week for Band A properties and an additional 88p weekly for properties in Band C.

Resilient

Afterwards, Sefton Council Leader Cllr Ian Maher said: “Thanks to careful management, the Council’s finances remain resilient despite a reduction in funding of over 50% since 2010 by the Government, which has also failed to recognise just how hard our Borough has been hit by those cuts and the Covid pandemic.

“Rather than provide the resources we need to deliver services for local people and businesses and ensure a brighter future for all, the Government is, once again, forcing us to increase Council Tax to make local people pay for vital services instead.

“In Sefton this rise will be just 66p per week for the majority of homes because they fall into Band A.

“I know that when households across Sefton are facing a huge leap in the cost of heating their homes, rising prices in the shops and at the petrol pumps, increased train fares and will soon be hit by the Government’s decision to raise National Insurance payments, even 89p per week is another cost they could do without.

Vital

“But it does mean we will be able to provide the vital functions to support our most vulnerable, protect our communities and provide care for those who need it. We will also continue to run the facilities and services that people of Sefton rightly expect and deserve.

“I am glad the Government has come up with the one-off £150 Council tax energy rebate, but I am afraid for many families, some of which are still feeling the effects of Ministers’ decision to cut Universal Credit by £20 per week, that payment will only scratch the surface.

“If this country is really going to build back better after austerity and Covid and any real kind of Levelling Up is going to happen, we need to see the Government facing up to the reality that we need sustainable, three-year financial settlements that would enable us to plan strategically and support our frontline services.”

Grant payments

Cllr Maher went on to highlight that Sefton Council has continued to feed pupils who would otherwise have gone hungry in the school holidays and has supported local businesses by processing over 23,000 grant payments totalling over £97 million, with a further £1.3 million in the pipeline.

He added: “Finally, I would like, once again, to say thank you to residents and businesses across Sefton for everything they have done to care for those around them protect them from the worst of Covid; and to thank the Council’s and our partners’ hardworking staff who have delivered services to keep us all safe and well during incredibly difficult times.”

You can find a link to the meeting papers here.

How your Council Tax is spent in Sefton.

Sefton Council Cabinet asked to approve plans to seek investment partner for Southport Golf Links

3 March 2022
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Green Sefton, Latest News

The shadow of a golfer swinging their club with the backdrop of a sunset

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 10th 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. 

 

Highways in Sefton earmarked for major investment

3 March 2022
Bridie Finnan
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News

Journeys on the Liverpool City Region’s highways and transport network would become smoother and safer, under a new multi-million-pound investment package set to be discussed by local leaders. 

In a move to improve the region’s roads, the Combined Authority is seeking to approve the indicative allocation of £232.96m from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), for a Highways Maintenance and Non-Maintenance package with Sefton earmarked to receive £41.11m to deliver local schemes.

Focussing on key corridors, the proposed package represents a co-ordinated series of measures all designed to support public transport services, relieve congestion, and improve air quality for local communities.

The measures include carriageway resurfacing to improve the condition of the roads, drainage works to help prevent flooding and new streetlights.

Bus users, cyclists and pedestrians would also benefit as plans include upgrades to bus shelters, improved footways and cycleways, plus new pedestrian crossing schemes.

The proposals form part of Mayor Rotheram’s plans for an integrated London-style transport network that makes the region’s network easier to use, cheaper, quicker, and more reliable.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:

“Our region’s success is dependent on our people, and goods, being able to move quickly, safely, and efficiently. By investing in electric charging points and improved, future-proof infrastructure on the roads and transport network, we can ensure that our economy continues to accelerate forward as we rebuild from the pandemic.

“Ultimately, my vision is to create a modern, London-style public transport network. Not only will it make a huge difference to the lives of our residents, making their journeys cheaper, faster, and more reliable, but it would provide people with a genuinely viable alternative to their car.

“By choosing to travel on the bus or train, or even walking or cycling, we can significantly reduce traffic congestion on our roads – which will be vital for our region to hit our goal of being net zero carbon by 2040 at the latest.”

Subject to approval, Sefton Borough Council will be delivering the works with more information about the schemes to be published at a later date.

Cllr John Fairclough, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Locality Services, said:

“Accessible, reliable and attractive public transport services will underpin Sefton’s economy as we emerge from the pandemic, so I welcome this investment to improve our roads network and transport infrastructure.

“And as well as supporting economic growth, regeneration and the development of new housing, a transport network that is better for cyclists and pedestrians as well as public transport users will deliver health and educational benefits as well as helping Sefton Council achieve its commitment to combating climate change.”

By contributing to improved transport access across the city region, this package of measures would in turn support growth as the benefits extend beyond transport, improving access to key sites in the city region for education, housing, health, and productivity.

The Combined Authority is due to consider this proposal at its meeting on Friday 4 March.

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