COUNCIL’S COMMUNICATIONS TEAM DEVISES ROADS TO HEAVEN AND HELL PLAYLISTS FOR VISITORS TO SEFTON COAST



Having advised people how they can avoid the queues when travelling to Sefton’s beautiful beaches, the Council’s Communications team has come up with some in car sounds for people who did and who did not take its advice.

High tides mean that the beach parking normally available at Southport is closed, while at Ainsdale it is reduced to just 500 spaces. And with the National Trust’s Formby site usually filling up quickly, the Council has suggested other places people can find parking and avoid queues.

A team spokesperson said: “For those people who have taken our advice and headed to alternative destinations we’ve created the SeftonSoundsOfSummerHeaven playlist on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Z...Ri6TREmMAjvnXg), which includes tracks like On the Beach by Chris Rhea, The Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations and Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves. Local band Red Rum Club also feature with Sweet Degrees.

“But for those who haven’t taken our advice and are likely to be stuck in queues, there’s the SeftonSoundsOfSummerHell (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6r...QS6XzIFH5SldKQ) playlist which features tracks like Road to Nowhere by Talking Heads, Feeling hot, hot, hot by The Merrymen and Melting In The Sun by ELO. And Chris Rhea makes a second appearance with Road to Hell.”

Expecting a very busy few days along its coast, Sefton Council has reminded people it beaches are in easy walking distance from a number of Merseyrail stations.

It also suggested alternatives to Formby, which can fill up quickly, resulting in local congestion. Southport, Ainsdale and Crosby beach are all RNLI lifeguarded beaches with natural beauty and fantastic facilities, all within minutes of Formby.

Ainsdale Beach is just two stops on Merseyrail or 16 minutes’ drive from Formby, using a satnav at postcode PR8 2QA. Southport is five stops on Merseyrail or a 20-minute drive from Formby and Crosby Coastal Park is three stations or 29 minutes’ drive away.

The Council is asking those who do drive to its coast to park responsibly and considerately away from residential areas and to make sure there is access for residents and emergency service vehicles at all times.

There are over 1,000 parking spaces close to Southport Beach at Esplanade Park and Ride, which people can find using a Sat Nav at postcode PR8 1RX. Costs are just £2 per day per car Monday to Saturday, including free bus service into Southport Town Centre.

On Sundays, the Esplanade site is a Car Park costing £5 all day. The Park and Ride Service on Sundays runs from Fairways at postcode PR9 0LA. The cost is £2 all day per car.

Seven hundred spaces are also available adjacent to the beach, on Marine Drive.
The facilities at Ainsdale beach include men’s, women’s, and disabled toilets. A daily cleaning regime is in place, ensuring the amenities are kept clean and replenished during busy periods through the summer. Accessible toilets are also available at Crosby Coastal Park.

There are also fantastic food and drink outlets on offer at Crosby and Ainsdale beaches, providing much-needed refreshments in the hot weather, and everything you could need for a great day out in Southport.

With high temperatures forecast for the coming days, people can find information about staying safe and well at www.sefton.gov.uk/heatwave

The spokesperson added: “Coming up with these playlists was a novel idea by the team but there are some serious messages too.

“We want people to have a great day out at our coast in the fine weather, but we want to avoid them having to sit in queues.

“We want to minimise disruption and inconvenience to local residents.

“And we want people to stay safe in the sun and to look after our wonderful coast.”

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