Council Opposition Leader Expresses Concern Over Southport's Slow-Paced Major Developments

As 2024 reaches the end, John Pugh, Lib Dem opposition leader on Sefton Council is expressing concern about the large number of major development projects  in Southport that remain incomplete.

 "In the last few years residents of Southport have been blitzed with major announcements, followed by long periods of “radio silence” and inactivity with most of what is trumpeted not going much beyond the press briefing and with people wondering how much to take seriously.

  If all that had been annnounced had happened, then Southport would have major new attractions, at least two more hotels and sundry luxury apartments instead of empty, gutted department stores. The Debenham ,BHS and Southport Visiter buildings would be transformed and the Garrick and Kingsway buildings would be prestigious hotels. Even if skyscrapers and surf parks are a little more speculative, the slow pace of needed development in the housing and hotel sector ought to be a concern."

Southport councillors and the public would appreciate hard factual updates to set against the visionary and slightly over-optimistic expectations of promoters and developers.”   https://youtu.be/vYIVr0sm6lg

Cllr Pugh confirmed that it was often difficult for council insiders to find out whether a scheme is on the right trajectory.

 “After planning permission is granted and expectations are raised there is often more inertia than activity. We need to be having frank and robust discussions with developers sometimes. The worst outcome is innocently expecting a development which a developer is struggling to deliver. There have been at least two ambitious projects for the old Deaf school but negligible progress on site with no-one quite sure why.”