All change – to alter
SOUTHPORT residents and business owners are incredibly proud of our resort’s rich heritage. We are particularly proud of Lord Street, the stunning Victorian treelined road which is said to have inspired the boulevards of Paris, and other historic areas in the town centre.
When Stand Up For Southport was carrying out consultation for the Southport Town Deal last year, one major theme which kept coming back in people’s responses was that they wanted to see our town centre brought back to its former glory.
The Southport Townscape Heritage Project, led by Sefton Council and supported by organisations including Southport BID, aims to achieve just that, armed with £1.8million in funding from the Government and the council.
Stand Up For Southport’s Andrew Brown asked Sue Latimer, Sefton Council’s Heritage Learning & Skills Co-ordinator, to explain more about the improvements we will soon be able to see in our town.
1. Please could you tell me a little about the Southport Townscape Heritage Project? What is the STHP and how will it improve Southport?
Southport Townscape Heritage project is a five-year scheme. The primary aim is to target specific historic buildings within the town centre and encourage their owners to carry out the type of repairs which retain original character yet bring them into full 21st century working use.
The buildings were assessed taking various factors into account including their heritage features, what they bring to the historic environment, location and likely repair costs.
We are now working with the owners of all our target buildings and the public will soon be able to spot National Lottery Heritage Fund logo boards and interpretation boards which will describe the individual projects.
It’s all about encouraging locals and visitors to appreciate Southport’s varied and historically important Victorian architecture and its seaside heritage.
2. The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded £1.6million to Sefton Council for the Southport Townscape Heritage Project, with Sefton adding £200,000 of its own funding. How will this money be spent?
Specific building owners will be invited to submit design plans which should demonstrate how their historic building can be improved having regard for heritage features.
Grants will be offered based on good design and this will take up the bulk of the funding.
The project also includes activities which will allow people to get involved in a wide range of heritage-based art, performance, research and learning activities.
Around £60,000 will be spent over the five years of the project on a programme of events and activities.
There is also a part-time post to lead on community engagement and co-ordinate events.
3. During the Southport Town Deal consultation last year, which Stand Up For Southport was involved with, so many responses came back from people saying that they really want to see improvements to Lord Street – what are your plans to improve Lord Street? The National Lottery Heritage Fund recognised the need to improve links between Lord Street and the Promenade.
With this in mind we have looked closely at four key streets: Bold Street, Nevill Street, Scarisbrick Avenue and Coronation Walk.
We have been speaking with owners of certain property on those streets and corner plots that link those streets with Lord Street.
Hopefully those discussions are heading to some fairly ambitious schemes becoming obvious on the streetscape in the near future.
4. I believe the Southport
Townscape Heritage Project will be working closely with Southport BID on making improvements to Southport town centre. How important is that relationship and how will that work?
Southport BID has been one of a number of key local partners all the way from the early development stage.
Southport BID continues to support us by helping with opening up discussion with stakeholders in the town. A number of Southport BID Board Members have also agreed to offer their opinions regarding emerging designs and have provided valuable insight in how to make property on Lord Street more sustainable whether it be, for example, design or how to open up and maximise use of vacant floorspace on upper levels.
5. Southport BID has already provided miles of new lighting along Lord Street through its contractors IllumiDex UK Ltd creating the glittering ‘boulevard of lights’. How good does that make Lord Street look at night? Is that one example of the BID making a positive impact on the town centre to enhance the historic environment already there?
Boulevard of Lights, though not part of the Townscape Heritage Project, is one of the many ways in which the various stakeholders can ‘add another piece to the jigsaw puzzle’ in maximising the offer to out of town visitors and locals in coaxing as many people into the town and increasing footfall.
Southport’s heritage as a seaside resort is key to its future success.
Research shows that residents and tourists see history and a sense of place as important, so everything that responds to and reflects that heritage is an asset.
The lighting on Lord Street is a modern interpretation of the lights that were a feature of the town back in the early 20th century and are shown in many postcards of the period.
6. Southport town centre has some big old buildings which have been lying vacant in the town centre, such as Victoria Building, the former Garrick Theatre and Debenhams, although it is fantastic to see plans now unveiled for Beales and the Grand Casino. One aim of the STHP is the enhanced use of vacant floor space in historical buildings. What interest has there been in those buildings? Is the Southport Townscape Heritage Project working to create new uses for those? What would you like to see in those spaces?
With the funding available Southport THP is more likely to target the smaller buildings, however through those improvements there is an expectation that other investors will see what can be achieved with our target buildings.
Private inward investment will then find new ways of using these older larger buildings through a combination of well thought out adaptation and vision in attracting exciting new uses which will revitalise the town centre whilst retaining a level of character.
9. The huge growth of Stand Up For Southport has shown the huge pride that local people have in our town. I am sure many people would love to support the work of the Southport Townscape Heritage Project - how can they get involved, how can they engage with the Project?
We can see from the Southport Townscape Heritage Twitter account and the Southport Townscape Heritage Facebook account how much pride local people have in their town and its heritage.
Social media is the best way to keep up to date with what’s going on in the project and how to get involved.
We’re currently looking for volunteer researchers and guides and there will be more opportunities in future.
10. What learning opportunities about Southport and its heritage will be created by the Southport Townscape Heritage Project and how can local children get involved? We’ve just been filming extracts from Southport’s Victorians, which has been written for primary schools and will be performed next year.
The films will be part of learning resources for schools that help to bring the town’s history to life.
Over the summer we’ll be sharing trails for families to download and enjoy and partnering with The Atkinson to provide holiday activities.
There will be a range of events for Heritage Open Days in September and we’re planning the first of a series of workshops for people who want to find out how to look after their historic buildings. We’re also developing a website that will provide information about Southport’s buildings and heritage.
It will give us a showcase for the project and the activities taking place, and there will be opportunities for people of all ages to share how they are inspired by Southport’s very special heritage.