Crosby Beach

[said]

The Iron Men are being refurbished and reset on Crosby Beach, by Sefton Council. This has been ongoing since 2018 - so it must be rather costly - but there is nothing for Southport Beach, a known tourist area??

[salus.populi]

The Iron Men are being refurbished and reset on Crosby Beach, by Sefton Council. This has been ongoing since 2018 - so it must be rather costly - but there is nothing for Southport Beach, a known tourist area??

It's the sole attraction in Crosby. Southport has lots of attractions.

I'm still waiting for you to explain where the apparent new stadium in Bootle will be.
https://www.qlocal.co.uk/southport/f...n-55050628.htm

[said]

It's the sole attraction in Crosby. Southport has lots of attractions.

Oh, well one is certainly not the beach, where all tourists/visitors first go that's for sure! Can you name all the other 'Attractions'?

[salus.populi]

well one is certainly not the beach, where all tourists/visitors first go that's for sure!

If they go there first it must be an attraction.

[said]

If they go there first it must be an attraction.

Southport Beach is an international attraction - but the promotion of the beach is completely different to it actual appearance and a huge number are disappointed. Even the disruptive youth have been put off - they now go to the Wirral.

[salus.populi]

Southport Beach is an international attraction - but the promotion of the beach is completely different to it actual appearance and a huge number are disappointed. Even the disruptive youth have been put off - they now go to the Wirral.

Even in its heyday it was nothing more than a featureless flat expanse covered in cars. I'm struggling to see it's international appeal unless it was for that very novelty of nature being ruined by motor vehicles. It's certainly not something you see in holiday brochures for beach holidays anywhere else.

[SteveandLois]

Southport does have other attractions.....as in

The Scarisbrick Hotel.
The Prince of Wales Hotel
Pontins at Ainsdale on Sea..
and soon to be put on that list.

The Royal Clifton Hotel..

[sandGroundZero]

[said]

Even in its heyday it was nothing more than a featureless flat expanse covered in cars. I'm struggling to see it's international appeal unless it was for that very novelty of nature being ruined by motor vehicles. It's certainly not something you see in holiday brochures for beach holidays anywhere else.

Not sure you are local?? The Beach has been used for Pleasure Flights, Red Rum's training ground, BMX motorcycle racing, Land yachts, Hovercraft, Land Speed Record 1950's Sunbeam Tiger by Henry Seagrave, Show ground for the Air Show. At one time you could drive from Ainsdale to Southport along the beach. The Beach supported the economy with cockles, coal, samphire, lugworms etc., and yes, car parking for visitors/tourists. People only come to Southport for the Beach and the town made full use of it - before Sefton took over!

[sandGroundZero]

The coastal dunes are a striking feature of the contemporary Sefton Coast.

Lord Street's origin was a few rustic guest houses on either side of a dune slack. The Southport end of the dunes has long been extensively developed; indeed, over-developed in the context of conserving the unique features of the dunes. The expanse of intertidal sand does not lend itself to what most people regard as a 'beach holiday '. Instead, over the decades reclamation of considerable acreage permitted the development of assorted visitor attractions quite apart from the secluded sea bathing that attracted 18^th century visitors.
We should be grateful that the entire Sefton Coast is NOT like Southport.

[jarvissimo]

"Land Speed Record 1950's Sunbeam Tiger by Henry Seagrave"

That would have been a sight to see, he died in 1930.

[sandGroundZero]

"Land Speed Record 1950's Sunbeam Tiger by Henry Seagrave"
That would have been a sight to see, he died in 1930.

That would certainly have attracted a crowd!

[said]

The coastal dunes are a striking feature of the contemporary Sefton Coast.

Lord Street's origin was a few rustic guest houses on either side of a dune slack. The Southport end of the dunes has long been extensively developed; indeed, over-developed in the context of conserving the unique features of the dunes. The expanse of intertidal sand does not lend itself to what most people regard as a 'beach holiday '. Instead, over the decades reclamation of considerable acreage permitted the development of assorted visitor attractions quite apart from the secluded sea bathing that attracted 18^th century visitors.
We should be grateful that the entire Sefton Coast is NOT like Southport.

The dunes are not unique - they are found on most coasts of the UK. Good business relies on good management. If the beach was managed properly, they would harness what there is available and make good use of it. It will be several decades yet before the beach is suitable to build on and in the meantime, why not put it to good use?

On the East Yorkshire coast, coastal tides are incoming, in the North West they are receding. To the South West, the land is submerging slowly, while in the North the Scottish highlands are rising. In South Wales, the tides are incoming as they are in the South East. Land form for the UK is changing constantly. But you don't hang around waiting for the final results. We have to work with what we have now - at the very least, a few tonnes of sand laid on our beach and regularly raked over, with coastal groynes put in place to protect it - outlay would be recovered from the higher numbers of tourists coming to Southport and the economy would grow. Bring in various attractions, employing more local people, businesses would benefit and shops would not stand empty.

[sandGroundZero]

The dunes are not unique - they are found on most coasts of the UK.

Dunes are not unique to Sefton.
Dune ecology has its own unique characteristics.
Southport's dunes are irrevocably over-developed vis-à-vis dune ecology.

Natterjack Toad

…Good business relies on good management. If the beach was managed properly, they would harness what there is available and make good use of it. …
…We have to work with what we have now - at the very least, a few tonnes of sand laid on our beach and regularly raked over, with coastal groynes put in place to protect it - outlay would be recovered from the higher numbers of tourists coming to Southport and the economy would grow. …

If the existing proprietors of hospitality and recreational business felt importing tons of sand to the beach was the formula for attracting more visitors, their BID would be advocating that and the Town Deal Board would have recommended it. Evidently, they are not on the same page as you, said.

Evolution of Sand Dunes

Southport's attractions are its proximity to somewhat natural dunes (with their beaches); its golf facilities; its catering, hospitality and leisure facilities and its events e.g. the flower show, air show and others.
Southport's visitor economy is intimately integrated with the wider region. Advocating a backward-looking and parochial formulas for our town's prosperity is, thankfully, limited to eccentric busybodies.

[salus.populi]

Not sure you are local?? The Beach has been used for Pleasure Flights, Red Rum's training ground, BMX motorcycle racing, Land yachts, Hovercraft, Land Speed Record 1950's Sunbeam Tiger by Henry Seagrave, Show ground for the Air Show. At one time you could drive from Ainsdale to Southport along the beach. The Beach supported the economy with cockles, coal, samphire, lugworms etc., and yes, car parking for visitors/tourists. People only come to Southport for the Beach and the town made full use of it - before Sefton took over!

And all of those things were possible because it's a flat featureless expanse.