World Class Water Park Southport

[sandGroundZero]

For a century and a half Southport has reclaimed beachfront as the sea had retreated.

Southport circa 1912

Useful, as the seafront and Lord Street businesses were liable to intermittent flooding in earlier days. In the meantime the Marine Lake has been a reliable body of water, looking out from the Promenade's hotel windows.

Perhaps a reclamation of additional acreage seaward of Marine Drive should be Southport's new 'big idea '? I note the chair of the Town Deal Board, Mr. Rob Fletcher, alludes (in passing) to a "Resort " type development adjacent the Marine Lake in a short vlog posted elsewhere on this thread. Perhaps some regular forum posters have been underestimating Southport's investment potential — which is strange, in view of their purported boosterism!

[local]

Our resident eco-hypocrite keeps telling us about rising sea levels which would be a problem for the reclamation.

[Derek H]

Our resident eco-hypocrite keeps telling us about rising sea levels which would be a problem for the reclamation.

Rising sea levels are a fact. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html

[sandGroundZero]

below sea level circa 2040 ??

We do have a problem locally in that much of the West Lancs. plain is recovered peat bog and drained mere. Residential neighbourhoods in town experience recurring flooding of roads and gardens. The man-made drainage system criss-crossing the Alt Crossens drainage area are liable to overload. A rising sea level will certainly make the problem more acute.

• Will we defend? Or abandon?

If the choice is to attempt to defend the town, simply reinforcing the current defences is likely to be inadequate.

[local]

Rising sea levels are a fact. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html

Wow Degsy well done, have you lost your spoon picture?

I didn't think you knew how to reply to points people raised, I was replying to this one, did you miss it, got a spoon in your eye


Perhaps a reclamation of additional acreage seaward of Marine Drive should be Southport's new 'big idea '? I note the chair of the Town Deal Board, Mr. Rob Fletcher, alludes (in passing) to a "Resort " type development adjacent the Marine Lake in a short vlog posted elsewhere on this thread. Perhaps some regular forum posters have been underestimating Southport's investment potential — which is strange, in view of their purported boosterism!

Keep up.

[Derek H]

Our resident eco-hypocrite keeps telling us about rising sea levels which would be a problem for the reclamation.

Rising sea levels are a fact. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html

Quote Wow Degsy well done, have you lost your spoon picture? Unquote

Is it time for you to grow up?

[The PNP]

Will we defend? Or abandon?

Probably both, in the above order.

What surprises me most, is the attitude some low-lying inhabitants have had to the climate crisis. By denying/arguing against climate change for as long as possible. Then, when the evidence became irrefutable, switching to a defeatist 'it's too late to stop it now' approach. Tactics which coincidentally, allow them to continue living their high-carbon lifestyle 'guilt-free'!

[Normal]

More investment proposals.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news...e-new-19205583

[Normal]

below sea level circa 2040 ??

We do have a problem locally in that much of the West Lancs. plain is recovered peat bog and drained mere. Residential neighbourhoods in town experience recurring flooding of roads and gardens. The man-made drainage system criss-crossing the Alt Crossens drainage area are liable to overload. A rising sea level will certainly make the problem more acute.

• Will we defend? Or abandon?

If the choice is to attempt to defend the town, simply reinforcing the current defences is likely to be inadequate.

The beach (our natural defence) is growing at a much faster rate than sea level rises. The latest I have read is the Irish sea is growing at a rate of 1mm per year. The beach is growing significantly more than that. The scare story from earlier in the year failed to take this into consideration therefore their model was useless.

Formby on the other hand is eroding is very quickly and it can be visibly seen year on year.

[Normal]

So it just needs a roof .... a big one.

The proposed development is not a stand alone surf experience though. I think saw a few weeks back, that they can use the water area as a floating cinema with boats on the "lake" watching the shows.

In addition there is a hotel and restaurants in addition to the proposed all year round facility being built at the pleasure land. Although I must confess I don't know what that new facility is going to be.

The surfing lake is only one element of the scheme.

On a separate note, the last time I checked the water paddling business on the marine lake is booked up until next year. I know its small scale, but it gives an indication of water sports popularity during the winter.

[sandGroundZero]

"The beach (our natural defence) is growing at a much faster rate than sea level rises. The latest I have read is the Irish sea is growing at a rate of 1mm per year. The beach is growing significantly more than that. The scare story from earlier in the year failed to take this into consideration therefore their model was useless. | Formby on the other hand is eroding is very quickly and it can be visibly seen year on year." — post #69

It is true; coastal deposition and erosion are complex and difficult to model.

The problem of local flooding is not exclusively linked to coastal dynamics. Breaches in "our natural defence" (as you have described it), not least the Ribble Estuary during periods of widespread, heavy rainfall in the region combined with tidal surges overwhelm the man-made drainage which in more normal circumstances keep the floods at bay. Plus as post #69 hints, coastal dynamics (being complex) is not guaranteed to work in our favour, even if it is true that deposition at our point on the coast currently may be.

As suggested elsewhere there are sea defences in place which over centuries have enabled the reclamation of land for agricultural use. I recent decades Southport's (residential) expansion has encroached upon formerly agricultural land such that flooding, when it occurs is much more costly and consequential. We in Southport have good reason to think ahead.

[local]

Our resident eco-hypocrite keeps telling us about rising sea levels which would be a problem for the reclamation.

Rising sea levels are a fact. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html

Quote Wow Degsy well done, have you lost your spoon picture? Unquote

Is it time for you to grow up?

From the man who when he had no argument to answer my point posted a picture of a spoon, your nearly funny Degsy.

[Derek H]

From the man who when he had no argument to answer my point posted a picture of a spoon, your nearly funny Degsy.

You could have managed with three letters! A Y, an E and an S.

And do you really think you are so interesting that I'm going to look at the times registered for your posts? You must be joking! You're not so funny! Note the verb - you're. Something to learn? I really start to wonder if you have serious problems with the language. Things that go beyond your ability to learn. By the way, I used the word funny in the sense humourous and not in the sense peculiar. Good night!

[Toodles McGinty]

The beach (our natural defence) is growing at a much faster rate than sea level rises. The latest I have read is the Irish sea is growing at a rate of 1mm per year. The beach is growing significantly more than that. The scare story from earlier in the year failed to take this into consideration therefore their model was useless.

Formby on the other hand is eroding is very quickly and it can be visibly seen year on year.

I'm generalising here, but I've heard more about coastal erosion on the east and south coasts. You know where some poor sod's bungalow is about to drop into the sea?

So are we creeping slowly westward? Reforming Pangea?

Locally, I've seen a slightly different plan for the theatre, without the fancy jetty part. So that's 'Southport Cove', Lord Street getting a makeover, and the theatre getting a revamp. And the market being refurbished.

I hope it does happen, but I'll believe it when I see it. Empty units in the Waterfront buildings don't fill me with confidence, but if they can pull it all off, it would certainly revive the town.

[sandGroundZero]

Disappointingly, Southport's Town Deal bid (as gleaned from variations on the press release published) appears to suggest 'a little bit of this and a dash of that ' adding up to a decidedly humdrum distillation of the Board's consultation. As ever a consultancy, Turley in this instance, may have played the largest part — the imagery?

Turley is supporting Southport Town Deal Board in the
submission of an ambitious £50 million plan to …

If anyone knows a link to the actual Southport Town Deal submission (as distinct from the press release), I would be grateful to see it. The Town Deal Fund we were told:
"…will be allocated via 2 methods. £1 billion will be allocated using a needs-based formula and £600 million which can be bid for competitively."

…the latter £600 million to be divvied-up among 101 select towns.

In our town £0.9 million to tart-up the market hall, plus £100,000 match funding for Lord Street lighting. The press release vaguely hints that the Southport Convention Centre will be replaced altogether. What is the deal, really?