Sefton Council

[seivad]

What did Southport Corporation do?
Well, in my lifetime, not a lot.
I have it on good authority (from the people who used to do it), that railings and shelters round Kings Gardens just used to be painted over, again and again.
The Victorian bandstand and leafy gardens on Lord Street were swept aside, and replaced by a concrete fountain and 'modern' concrete planters and shrubs. Designed by an architect with links to John Poulson if I remember correctly.
Birkdale Town Hall and the adjacent Carnegie Library were swept away to be replaced by a block of flats and parade of shops.

As you say, Southport Corporation didn't do a lot. Their aim to keep Southport's rates incredibly low, and brag about it incessantly, meant that nothing was maintained as it should be. There was very little investment in the town, and it showed.

The concrete fountain, AKA Simms Folly.... what a hideous piece of work that was! I thought that Poulson designed it, and possibly got the contract in his usual way, but I could be wrong. Didn't he design the Southport Theatre? Another hideous building, particularly when compared to the Art Deco exterior of the Floral Hall.

Do you remember Poulson's radical plan for Southport in the 60s? Visitors to Southport were already declining, plus even back then the lack of parking was considered to be one of the reasons people kept away. Amongst other things, Paulson's plan involved demolition of the town hall, the Atkinson and Cambridge Hall to make way for a shopping centre. A conference centre and luxury hotel would be built on the Ribble Bus terminal site, and an entertainment district between Lord St. and the Prom.

At such a high cost I've no idea where the funding would have come from, but the town council was all for it. That changed when the Cons got back in. As the dubious Mr Poulson went bankrupt, it's just as well.

All this chattering/moaning about how bad Sefton Council has been for Southport, ignores the fact that from 1973-1986 the (Southport) Cons held the majority. From then on until 2012 no party had overall control. Labour has only held the majority since 2012. And, as Alikado has pointed out, being in Merseyside meant access to funds for investment in the town. It's just one example, but I doubt that you'd even have a pier now.

Southport must be awash with rose tinted glasses!

[salus.populi]

Well we couldn’t do much worse than being in Merseyside, Sefton Council have let this town go to ruin.

So what would Lancashire do to improve anything?

[salus.populi]

Sarcasm! Liverpool is not recognised as being Lancashire, not because of its geographic status but more to do with its diaspora.

Liverpool is as Lancastrian as Southport

[salus.populi]

For a start The Kings Gardens refurbishment was a lottery funding.

Lord Street is in a mess with loads of empty shops.

The beach needs a lot of work, it’s in a shocking state

The train station is a disgrace and needs a total refurbishment, when you come to Southport your greeted to a station which is ugly and embarrassing, yes well done Sefton Council, not

Lottery funding that the council applied for because it was the council's idea to renovate Kings Gardens.

The council doesn't own, open or close shops.

The beach is in a natural state as most beaches are

The council don't own the railway station or it's precinct (which was rebuilt during Southport Borough Council days anyway)

Anything else you want to blame Sefton council for that has nothing to do with them?

The absolute ignorance of many people in Southport no longer astounds me as I read this sort of garbage day in day out.

[seivad]

Sarcasm! Liverpool is not recognised as being Lancashire, not because of its geographic status but more to do with its diaspora.

Apart from in your warped mind, since when did a population's origin, or that of their antecedents, determine which county a town/city is in?

[said]

As you say, Southport Corporation didn't do a lot. Their aim to keep Southport's rates incredibly low, and brag about it incessantly, meant that nothing was maintained as it should be. There was very little investment in the town, and it showed.

The concrete fountain, AKA Simms Folly.... what a hideous piece of work that was! I thought that Poulson designed it, and possibly got the contract in his usual way, but I could be wrong. Didn't he design the Southport Theatre? Another hideous building, particularly when compared to the Art Deco exterior of the Floral Hall.

Do you remember Poulson's radical plan for Southport in the 60s? Visitors to Southport were already declining, plus even back then the lack of parking was considered to be one of the reasons people kept away. Amongst other things, Paulson's plan involved demolition of the town hall, the Atkinson and Cambridge Hall to make way for a shopping centre. A conference centre and luxury hotel would be built on the Ribble Bus terminal site, and an entertainment district between Lord St. and the Prom.

At such a high cost I've no idea where the funding would have come from, but the town council was all for it. That changed when the Cons got back in. As the dubious Mr Poulson went bankrupt, it's just as well.

All this chattering/moaning about how bad Sefton Council has been for Southport, ignores the fact that from 1973-1986 the (Southport) Cons held the majority. From then on until 2012 no party had overall control. Labour has only held the majority since 2012. And, as Alikado has pointed out, being in Merseyside meant access to funds for investment in the town. It's just one example, but I doubt that you'd even have a pier now.

Southport must be awash with rose tinted glasses!

Sefton Council covers a wide area of North of Liverpool. The majority of Sefton Council members hail from Bootle and Liverpool. Conservatives may have held the majority, but after becoming part of Merseyside they did not hold the purse strings. Money was being siphoned off for the less successful regions of Sefton. Southport began deteriorating just after it became part of Merseyside. Prior to that money raised in Southport was re-invested back into the town and it was a very vibrant, attractive area. Once it was made part of Merseyside, money raised in Southport had to be distributed among the less profitable Labour ran regions instead of being invested into Southport where the greater profits lie.
The area has been going down for many years. Many of the successful business people have moved out, while Southport has seen a large number of people from the poorer, less industrious Labour regions move in.The education standards were much higher in Southport and led to many successful businesses and professional people.
Until Southport become independent it will not improve. Until it improves and more enterprising people move in, the town will not succeed. Southport will never improve until it comes out of Sefton because the money made in Southport is distributed through out the less profitable Sefton region, not just in Southport.

Just for interest - Sephton originally lay on the South side of Crosby.

[fanzone1]

Lottery funding that the council applied for because it was the council's idea to renovate Kings Gardens.

The council doesn't own, open or close shops.

The beach is in a natural state as most beaches are

The council don't own the railway station or it's precinct (which was rebuilt during Southport Borough Council days anyway)

Anything else you want to blame Sefton council for that has nothing to do with them?

The absolute ignorance of many people in Southport no longer astounds me as I read this sort of garbage day in day out.

Sefton Council have ruined Southport, so people complaining are right to.

[salus.populi]

Sefton Council have ruined Southport, so people complaining are right to.

So for the 4th time of asking what will Lancashire do better than Sefton?
Bear in mind that Lancashire has lots of other towns to maintain as well.

[said]

Yea, what have the Romans, sorry, Sefton ever done for us.
Well, let's see:
historic stuff in Southport:
Atkinson/Arts centre refurbished
Town Hall looks in better condition than the one in Bootle,
Pier rebuilt pretty well completely,
Kings Gardens refurbished with new shelters,
Marine Lake drained and dredged, new pathways and edging, new bridges at the southern end to replace the rotten ones.
Market Hall refurbished.
Lord Street gardens and Municipal Gardens refurbished after demolition of 1960s structures. New ( Victorian looking) bandstand installed.
I also think that I'm right in saying that there was refurbishment of the lakes and pathways at Hesketh Park and Botanic Gardens, including the aviaries at the Botanic. However, recent austerity programmes have led to the the closure of the aviaries, and pretty well everything else in the parks.

What did Southport Corporation do?
Well, in my lifetime, not a lot.
I have it on good authority (from the people who used to do it), that railings and shelters round Kings Gardens just used to be painted over, again and again.
The Victorian bandstand and leafy gardens on Lord Street were swept aside, and replaced by a concrete fountain and 'modern' concrete planters and shrubs. Designed by an architect with links to John Poulson if I remember correctly.
Birkdale Town Hall and the adjacent Carnegie Library were swept away to be replaced by a block of flats and parade of shops.


Sefton's record on 'entrepreneurship' and saving historic buildings is not good...but Southport's done better than most places in the borough.

Outside ideas for Southport not compatible to local needs

Atkinson Art Gallery - not been for ages, Library much smaller, Cafe could have ben a good success under a knowledgeable manager, Museum not exactly a hit.

Bootle Town Hall much larger and open and more natural looking.

Pier rebuilt - new boards needed replacing after just a few weeks

Kings Gardens - prioritised over other areas at behest of a single business person, ruined vista and created ugly panorama.

Marine Lake has continuously been maintained by dredging - it is a necessity not a favour.

Market hall flop - charges for stalls higher than they have ever been, footfall lower than ever before.

All work done on the cheap - with extortionate costs! Cheap work does not last and now far worse than before.



Previously under Southport Corporation:

Far greater social community with local people in charge of the town - everyone assisted with community projects

Historic buildings maintained - great pride in local area

Crime statistics low

More amenities and leisure facilities, all children belonged to at least one social club

Local support for local business encouraged

High educational standards for every student

Sports encouraged.

Cleaner environment

Far better standards, community involved in local decisions.

High employment levels.

Fantastic beaches

High numbers of tourists every year

Southport is now far worse off than it has seen in its history. We need local people to run Southport. I vote for Southport independence, it is an individual town with its own community which still stand strong, and Southport has its own character.

[salus.populi]

Previously under Southport Corporation:

Far greater social community with local people in charge of the town - everyone assisted with community projects

Historic buildings maintained - great pride in local area

Crime statistics low

More amenities and leisure facilities, all children belonged to at least one social club

Local support for local business encouraged

High educational standards for every student

Sports encouraged.

Cleaner environment

Far better standards, community involved in local decisions.

High employment levels.

Fantastic beaches

High numbers of tourists every year

Evidence please rather than rose tinted memories.

[Alikado]

Outside ideas for Southport not compatible to local needs

Atkinson Art Gallery - not been for ages, Library much smaller, Cafe could have ben a good success under a knowledgeable manager, Museum not exactly a hit.

You've not been so you don't know, Library a little smaller the books removed were ones that hadn't been borrowed for 3+ years. the cafe was franchised out

Bootle Town Hall much larger and open and more natural looking.
????? meaning what, Sefton didn't build it, much of the complex is the former Library, Police Station, Magistrates Court, Post Office & Baths. The actual TH part was much smaller than you think

Pier rebuilt - new boards needed replacing after just a few weeks
I think you will find that very few boards have needed replacing which is quite surpising in such a harsh envirionment

Kings Gardens - prioritised over other areas at behest of a single business person, ruined vista and created ugly panorama.
Who is this single Business Person, Which areas was it Prioritised over, how was the vista ruined and the panorama made ugly by merely refurbishing the existing infrastructure and flower beds.

Marine Lake has continuously been maintained by dredging - it is a necessity not a favour.
This has been happening since the lake was created, it has always been a necessity due to sand being blown off the beach

Market hall flop - charges for stalls higher than they have ever been, footfall lower than ever before.
The Market Hall refurb was done on consultation with the leading experts on running markets, Markets all over the country are suffering the same fate, after the refurb it was run by a specialist market management company

All work done on the cheap - with extortionate costs! Cheap work does not last and now far worse than before.
All work & projects are undertaken under the Government Rules and Regulations, the Council have little flexibility over who gets work



Previously under Southport Corporation:

Far greater social community with local people in charge of the town - everyone assisted with community projects
Such as?

Historic buildings maintained - great pride in local area
Such as? Many churches in Southport were demolished under Southport Corporation, nowadays they would have been protected and carefully redeloped.

Crime statistics low
Crime hasn't changed in the town any differently to any other place

More amenities and leisure facilities, all children belonged to at least one social club
There are far more amenities, clubs, teams and youth clubs nowadays

Local support for local business encouraged
Businesses are supported and encouraged far more today.

High educational standards for every student
Educational opportunities are a lot more available today, when Southport Corporation was in charge most kids left school at 15 with no qualifications or support

Sports encouraged.
Sporting activities are encouraged far more today particularly for children apart from Victoria Baths and the Sea bathing lake there was nothing in the past

Cleaner environment
There are more litter bins around now, they also have mechanical cleaners butitis down to the public to use them, you can take a horse to water.....

Far better standards, community involved in local decisions.
There is far more community input into the Council nowadays, Councillors and the Council are far more accessible today

High employment levels.
Little has changed, employment levels are a national thing, the town has probably fared well compared to other places as companies have centralised, Blackpool has fared worse.

Fantastic beaches
The beach hasn't changed other than by nature under Southport Corporation the Sea came up to the Promenade and much of the north of the town has been recovered from the sea, the bathing water has improved dramatically

High numbers of tourists every year
Pre 1974 most people holidayed in Britian, cheap Air Travel has changed all that but Southport has fared better than many seaside towns such as New Brighton & Morecambe

Southport is now far worse off than it has seen in its history. We need local people to run Southport. I vote for Southport independence, it is an individual town with its own community which still stand strong, and Southport has its own character.
If Southport broke away from Sefton it would be a small district within Lancashire and all major services - Highways, Education & Social Services would be run by the County from County Hall

I think your Rose Tinted Glasses have got misted up.