Cafe and ice cream plans for railway
SOUTHPORT’S seafront could soon have a new ice cream parlour and cafe under plans to rebuild the old miniature railway terminal on Marine Parade.
Plans submitted to Sefton Council would see the platforms and tracks by Southport Pier renovated and two new Victorianstyle buildings erected on the site of the old terminal.
The old terminal building was completely rebuilt in 2010 but demolished in 2019 and the site now lies vacant.
One of the two buildings will house an ice cream parlour while the other will be a cafe serving fish and chips, both operated by Southport Pleasureland, which also runs the railway.
In its application, Pleasureland said: “Marine Parade station will benefit from the redevelopment which sits on the prominent corner of Marine Parade and Marine Drive. The proposal gives the Lakeside Railway an appropriate entrance from Marine Parade which also will contribute to Southport’s leisure offer and create employment.
“Furthermore, the Victorian style and thoughtfully designed volume connect the site with the recently refurbished shelter on the Southport Pier.”
The redeveloped station is the second proposal from Southport Pleasureland in recent weeks, along with plans to build an observation wheel and bistro in Princes Park on a site currently occupied by a disused public toilet.
Both developments have been promoted as providing additional tourist attractions for the town, but also seek to capitalise on the rise in visitor numbers expected to follow significant investment in Southport under the Government’s Towns Fund.
Southport has been awarded £37.5m from the fund, with the bulk of that money earmarked for a new events centre on Marine Lake, replacing the now defunct Southport Theatre and Convention Centre.
The council is hoping that the investment will draw hundreds of thousands of people to Southport each year, which in turn will boost income for the town’s hotels, bars and restaurants as well as attractions like Pleasureland.
Sefton Council expects to make a decision on the plans for a new miniature railway terminal by September 10.