Southport Lib Dems demand transparency over pier funding rejection

Southport Lib Dems are demanding that the full details of the correspondence between Sefton Council and the National Lottery Heritage fund about funding for the pier is published. The Labour leader announced at this week’s council meeting that they have been told by the lottery that the bid wouldn’t be considered at the moment.

Southport Lib Dem leader, Councillor John Pugh, said: “The plan to apply for up to £10m of lottery funding was the council’s key strategy in trying to get the pier fixed and opened. To hear that this idea will not even be able to get off the starting blocks is bad enough, the fact that it warranted only a throwaway line in the Council leader’s Budget speech is frankly insulting to Southport residents.

“The leader of the Council needs to publish the full correspondence between the council and the lottery fund so we know the reasons why they have said that the pier wouldn’t qualify for funding so we have the full details and we can work out what plan B is. When she became leader last year, Cllr Atkinson made it clear that transparency was very important to her.  The Council are well aware of the strength of feeling among residents about getting the pier fixed and open and this latest news is a real setback.”