Southport In Conversation - Patrick Hurley MP

Patrick Hurley MP - Making Southport Work – My Five Priorities for Real Change

Your Southport asked a number of Southport’s movers and shakers for their vision and priorities to help make Southport a better place to live, work, visit and invest. This is what they said.

Southport has enormous potential, but we need to be clear and focussed about what it will take to unlock it. Since being elected, I've been working with the Council and local partners on a framework that could genuinely transform how the town develops, and it focuses on five key priorities.

Planning and development tools need to work to support the town

We need to use planning and tax measures strategically, not as blunt instruments, but as tools to ensure private investment delivers for the community.

I want to see a Southport Design Code that developers can follow with confidence, knowing that if they build to those standards and deliver clear community value, they will get a positive reaction from the Council. This is about making expectations clear so everyone knows where they stand so time and effort is not wasted.

Town Centre living 

Southport needs to grow its population through more and better residential development. But simply building housing isn't enough.

Town centre developments need to be complete place. Essential services like GP surgeries, school places and specialised workspaces must be built in from the start, not added on later. Embedding these elements into residential schemes creates the volume of activity that makes a town centre feel alive.

I believe people need to be able to live their whole lives within a safe and accessible walking distance. We do not want housing as “battery farms” where people sleep but then drive elsewhere for everything. There is no reason that services and amenities should not be on the doorstep in town centres. At the same time, however, we need to make parking available to support town centre living.

Modern, attractive and sustainable town centre living also requires public transport and infrastructure which reflects that and is fit for purpose. Unfortunately, Southport station is neither modern, attractive or fit for purpose.

I'm currently in discussions with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority about the station area I’m hoping that a change of designation and renewed attention from regional government could provide the planning flexibility and, where necessary, the compulsory purchase powers to unlock sites that are currently holding the whole station area back. It is not just the station; the car park is very busy but occupies a lot of valuable land which could be put to better uses. I would like to see a new multi-storey car park alongside new apartments in that area. As well as the powers, though, I recognise that money will also be required. I am already lobbying government to this end.

Addressed properly and comprehensively, redevelopment of the station area opens up development opportunities and kick-starts modern town centre living for our town.

In turn, that improves the business case for better transport links. Southport needs to be better connected to Liverpool, Preston, Manchester and beyond through road and rail investment. Increased demand will push Southport’s case. These things are all inter-linked.

My vision looks at the issue in the round, making the whole proposition for modern town centre living more attractive, bringing new investment, more footfall and more spend into the heart of our town..

Building the evidence base to secure investment and funding

We need to build a full picture, mapping how the town is now and what we want the town to be in the future. Parts of Dukes and Cambridge wards have sites that sit alongside some of Sefton’s most deprived communities. That's not a coincidence. When buildings are neglected and investment doesn't happen, it feeds into wider problems with health, cohesion, and opportunity.

Assembling the full picture is vital to show government what local leaders already know: neglected buildings and neglected people go together. This evidence becomes crucial when bidding for a fairer share of funding for our town.

I would also like to see Sefton Council being more proactive about using enforcement powers to improve the appearance of these eyesore sites.

Learning from the past

Southport grew from people wanting to live in or spend time in a pleasant location close to the sea, taking in the fresh coastal air. Investments were made in infrastructure, hotels, housing and in services, amenities and attractions to encourage people to live in and to visit Southport. We need that same climate for investment to build the future for Southport. We need to unify behind a collective vision for our town.

More recently, the Townscape Heritage Initiative showed what's possible when the Council, local landlords, Heritage Lottery, and Historic England work together. Buildings came back to life, facades were restored, upper floors were utilised again. Like all such programmes, one always wishes there were more time and money to continue its successful work. Sadly, this did not happen.

My proposal is to take that model, update the eligibility criteria, and focus it tightly on the rectangle bounded by Coronation Walk, Lord Street, the Promenade and Nevill Street. This is the area where heritage assets are concentrated and also the area where the opportunity for transformation is greatest.

Delivering the vision 

Vision without delivery is simply a pipedream.

But none of this is particularly complicated. What it requires firstly is the political will to actually do it - to use the powers available, to demand proper standards from developers, and to invest strategically rather than scattering resources. Then it requires that will to be sustained, holding our collective nerve where there may be occasional bumps in the road.

Southport has the building blocks: the architecture, the location, the environment, the raw materials. What we need now is to agree the framework that converts those fundamentals into jobs, housing, and a town centre that works for businesses, residents and visitors all year-round.

There are green shoots already happening. The Pier refurbishment is starting, Marine Lake Events Centre is under construction, Town Hall Gardens is being transformed.

We have gained some momentum. The question is whether we can turn that momentum into a snowball: a decade-long commitment to redeveloping Southport as a place where people want to put down roots and businesses want to invest. That is the challenge and one I am up for.

• The Your Southport platform is provided by Southport BID and showcases the very best of Southport town centre.
• For Southport BID, this conversation reinforced the importance of the partnerships we're building and the strategic focus we're maintaining on town centre vitality and investment-ready development.
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