Town deal cash will create up to 1,300 jobs
SOUTHPORT Town Deal funding will create an estimated 1,300 new jobs and attract more than a million extra visitors a year as it creates “seismic change” within the town.
Southport MP Damien Moore said last year’s £37.5million Town Deal investment by the Government – Southport was the second highest recipient in the country in its round of funding – is already working to attract hundreds of millions of pounds in private funding.
Town Deal funding has already been used to part-fund the bustling new Southport Market food, drink and events space, in a scheme led by Sefton Council Tourism, and the 300,000 new lights along Lord Street, in a Southport BID initiative with the lights installed by IllumiDex UK Ltd.
Central to the Town Deal process will be a £75million new Marine Lake Events Centre, while a new Southport Enterprise Arcade in the process of being created on Eastbank Street.
Since the announcement last year, Southport has seen substantial private investment pouring into the town.
The £75million Southport Cove attraction is due to open on Princes Park in 2025; The Grand will open on Lord Street this summer after a £3million transformation with further developments planned for the site; exciting new attractions are being planned for Southport Pleasureland; the multi-million conversion of the former Garrick Theatre is currently taking place; and eye-catching proposals for The Waterfront could see new hotel, leisure, residential and retail facilities being built.
Mr Moore also praised the work being done by Southport College, and vowed to continue his campaign for better rail links from Southport to destinations including Preston and Manchester.
Speaking during the House of Commons debate Making Britain the Best Place to Grow Up and Grow Old, he said: “Since the last Queen’s Speech, Southport has begun the process of seismic change, with our £37.5million town deal being met with hundreds of millions in pledged private funding.
“The Town Deal will help to create more than 1,300 new jobs, and bring in over a million extra visitors per year.
“From the individual small businesses springing up along our high street to the larger Southport Cove and Marine Lake Events Centre developments, our town – which I am proud to call my home – is rightly seeing the benefits of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda.”
Mr Moore also called for local people to be given more choices in how they are governed, and praised the work being done at Southport College.
He said: “It is important for local communities to have a say in changes in their areas, and I therefore welcome the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which offers a real opportunity to address the housing shortage.
“While the Bill will also allow a further devolution of powers over local services to local elected leaders, I urge the Government to go further, and introduce a mechanism to allow a community to change its local authority catchment area more easily.
“The Higher Education Bill will raise education standards and increase fairness within the system, allowing students to fulfil their potential wherever they live.
“Southport benefits greatly when wellqualified graduates return to our town, as their innovative drive and passion for local progress are crucial to our success.
“For example, Southport’s hospitality developments need look no further than Southport College, where, under the fantastic leadership of Michelle Brabner, students are well supported in finding skilled, well-paid work locally.”
And the MP again reiterated his calls for the Burscough Curves to be reopened – they were shut during the Beeching Cuts in the 1960s – which would once again restore direct rail travel between Southport, Ormskirk and Preston.
Mr Moore said: “All this relies on strong transport links. We need the Burscough Curves rail link to reopen, which would enable stronger connectivity.
“We need to maintain the direct link from Southport to Manchester Piccadilly.
“I am optimistic that the Transport Bill will succeed in its stated aim of making our transport system more reliable and efficient for passengers.
“This Queen’s Speech brings welcome legislation to my constituency in particular as we continue to level up our local areas, support our children, and connect our communities.”