Southport Town Deal

More than half of people that took part in a consultation on Southport Market believe introducing more food and drink options would have a positive effect on the building.

Late last year Sefton Council ran a four-week consultation asking the views of existing traders, local businesses, residents and visitors to the area on the vision for the renewed market space.

Hundreds of people got involved via Sefton Council’s online e-consult site and through hard copies that were available at the King Street market and other Council buildings.

91% of respondents who responded were Sefton residents and just under 80% of them had heard or seen the impressive images charting how the King Street market could look in the future.

While no final decisions have yet been made, the Council remains committed to ensuring Southport Market continues to operate and make a positive contribution to the local economy as well as becoming a key visitor destination.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: “We have said all along that we value Southport Market but the current offer and the way it operates simply doesn’t work.

“The consultation reaffirmed this with people saying they don’t visit the facility much, highlighting the number of empty units and how it was an uninviting place to visit.

“A number of responses also identified that a change in the offer at the market would improve the look and feel of the market quarter in the town.

“People have now told us how they would like a variety of food and drink establishments at the market with 78% of respondents saying they would buy from a deli/greengrocer/butcher that focused on local or specialised produce.

“Early plans drawn up for us last year had a flexible events space at the back of the market and our consultation found that 72% of people would visit an artisan and local food market with 64% saying they would go to a craft market as well.

“These findings have been reported back to our public Consultation and Engagement Panel with the view of moving the project forward during our Borough of Culture year.

“Building on our former investment at the market, we believe these findings can help us move forward and help transform the building into a unique offer that will only benefit the town and the wider borough.”

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Sefton Council is seeking the views of existing traders, residents and visitors regarding an exciting vision for the future of Southport Market.

Earlier this year, impressive images were released charting how the King Street market could look in the future.

While no final decisions have yet been made, Sefton Council is running a 4-week consultation regarding the future of the building.

The Council remains committed to ensuring Southport Market continues to operate and make a positive contribution to the local economy as well as becoming a key visitor destination.

We are now seeking the views of our existing traders, local businesses, residents and visitors to the area on the vision for the renewed market space through an e-consultation on sefton.gov.uk

Hard copies of the consultation will also be available at libraries, the two One Stop Shops in Sefton and Southport Market itself. The consultation runs until October 24.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: “Earlier this year we released some amazing images on what Southport Market could look like in the future and the general feedback was very positive.

“We are now taking it to the next stage through a formal consultation process gauging what existing traders, visitors and residents across the borough think about the future use of the building.

“We really value the market but sadly it has become very clear that the current set up isn’t working making trading conditions extremely difficult with occupancy levels in decline.

“Building on our former investment at the market, hopefully this consultation will guide us in the right direction to potentially transform the building into a unique offer that will only benefit the town and the wider borough.

“While nothing is set in stone, we really hope people find the time to tell us what they think and help define a new exciting chapter at the market.”

The consultation can be viewed at https://yourseftonyoursay.sefton.gov.uk/ and to see more images and details on what the new operation could look like, visit https://southportmarket.com/

Sefton Council is delighted to have received notification that Southport has been included within the Government’s invite list to bid for a share of £3.6b New Towns Funding.

This follows the recent exclusion of any Sefton towns within the Government’s recently announced £1b Future High Streets Fund.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: “While we are delighted that we have not been overlooked this time, we look forward to understanding how Southport can actually get its hands on its share of this funding.

“Unfortunately, the announcement stops well short of a guarantee to allocate anything to Southport, moreover it simply offers Sefton Council an invitation to bid, and for a figure of up to a maximum of £25m.

“We intend to put the strongest case forward for consideration by Government noting that the early information encourages focus upon investment in transport, technology, skills and culture. All of which are consistent with our priorities and aspirations contained within the Southport Investment Framework, the Local Plan, and indeed a number of other initiatives being pursued by the Council and with partners such as Southport BID.

“While I am bitterly disappointed our other town centres such as Crosby and Bootle have been overlooked, we will continue to support and encourage opportunities for investment more widely, and will fight for a fair deal for all of our communities and towns centres right across the borough.”