At their meeting on Thursday 10th March, Sefton Councilâs Cabinet will consider plans for the next stage of the delivery of the Southport Town Deal.
Cabinet Members will review the business cases for three of the Town Deal projects which have been developed over recent months by the Town Deal board, for which the Council is the accountable body.
âLes Transformations de Southportâ
This project is aimed at improving the public realm within Southport Town Centre. 
Set to support Southportâs return to the grandeur of Victorian England, when it was the countryâs second most popular tourist destination, âLes Transformations de Southportâ looks at interconnectivity across the whole town centre, from improved routes in the town centre to the creation of new public spaces for hosting events.
The public consultation on the first phase of this project is still open and any local residents who still wish to contribute to the consultation can do so at https://yourseftonyoursay.sefton.gov.uk/futuresouthport/
Rob Fletcher, Chair of the Southport Town Deal board, said:
âThe name Les Transformations de Southport recognises our townâs inspiration for Hausmannâs reconstruction of Paris, and this first phase aligns closely with the priority areas identified in our Town Deal consultation prior to the bid submissionâ.
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âBuilding Better Customer Experiencesâ
This is a training programme for employers and employees across the town, aiming to help create a consistent level of exemplary service which can be associated with a âSouthport Standardâ.
There will be a focus on understanding Southport and its assets, as well as specific product and service knowledge, and will incorporate a strong underpinning of diversity and equalities training that aligns with the overall objectives for Southportâs vision.
Disability awareness will be a vital aspect of this programme, which will support the elevation of the townâs brand in line with the original Town Deal consultation and bid submission.
A spokesperson for Southport Access for Everyone (SAFE), saidÂ
âWe are pleased to have the ongoing opportunity to engage with the Council on this and other projects to ensure that equality for people living with a disability is at the forefront of these projects”
The Enterprise Arcade
Located within the Crown Buildings on Eastbank Street, this project will offer Southportâs first digital incubator space for start-up businesses and entrepreneurs, a co-working space creating a community for our existing and future talent in the sector. It will also create a new economic driver for the town centre, supporting economic diversification and resilience, and breathing new life into vacant buildings.
Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, Councillor Marion Atkinson, said
âWe are breathing life into an under-used asset in an exciting town centre location. The Enterprise Arcade will build on the fantastic digital assets and businesses in the town, supporting diversification and resilience in our economy in line with the key objectives of the Town Dealâ.
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Submitting these business cases for approval is the key next stage in the Town Deal funding requirements and will soon be followed by the design and business case for the cornerstone of the Town Deal, the Marine Lake Events Centre and associated light and water show, dubbed âThe Light Fantasticâ which will be submitted this Summer.
The new Events Centre is expected to draw more than 500,000 visitors per year to the town.
The combined impact of all of these projects, overseen by the Southport Town Deal Board, will help Southportâs economic recovery and transformation programme.
Councillor Atkinson, added,
âThis is a key next step in the delivery of Southport Town Deal.
âSefton Council and our partners on the Town Deal Board want to see Southport transformed into a thriving, vibrant visitor destination.Â
We want to give people a reason to visit and stay for longer. We believe that projects and attractions such as these, along with the recently completed Southport Market, will act as a catalyst for emerging private sector investment across the town centre and will create a genuinely unique visitor experience and will only serve to strengthen our visitor economy.
âWeâre putting Southport back on the map!â
Details of next Thursdayâs Cabinet meeting can be found at https://modgov.sefton.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=139&MId=10388
