Land deal struck for £75m Southport leisure complex
The Cove Resort has signed an exclusivity agreement with Sefton Council for a site on the town’s Esplanade, paving the way for the creation of a four-star hotel.
Situated between Victoria Park and the beach, the land was the first site The Cove Resort’s co-founders Tony Howard and Tamlyn Stone wanted for their £75m leisure and hospitality project.
The site was initially unavailable so the firm turned its attention to another plot in Princes Park.
However, following three years of negotiations with Sefton Council, the Cove Resort has now secured its first-choice site.
“We’re thrilled with this agreement and what this now means for progressing the project in Southport,” Howard said.
“Even before we made our proposals for The Cove public, the Esplanade site was always number one on our list. It is quite exceptional to have such a stunning natural backdrop and yet be only minutes from the town centre by foot.”
As well as a hotel, the scheme proposes the creation of a surf centre, thermal spa, and “multiple leisure activities”, according to Howard.
“The Esplanade site provides a wonderful opportunity to create something very special for the town and coastline, offering a unique resort which may visually respond to its coastal setting and the uninterrupted views in nearly all directions,” Howard added.
“The Cove Resort is very much wedded to the aspirations of Southport’s Town Deal strategy for improving the visitor and customer experience, whilst also enhancing the town as a place for living well.”
Southport’s Town Deal strategy includes a £73m investment in the new Marine Lake Events Centre.
Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and skills, added: “The aim of a project such as the Marine Lake Events Centre was always to bring hundreds of thousands of new visitors each year to the town, including from outside the Liverpool City Region, all year round, staying for longer in our beautiful borough.
“Although we already have a fantastic and distinctive visitor offer, we want more reasons to visit, and our regeneration programme is also intended to stimulate investment in adjacent assets and opportunities.”
Plans for The Cove Resort were first unveiled in October 2020 and has evolved over recent years.
Originally a £40m surf park, The Cove Resort significantly increased the scope of the project last year, proposing an all-day visitor destination.
Southport needs to break away from Sefton and Merseyside in order to find its feet again.
By Sandgrounder
I never realised people from Lancashire visited the resort of Southport, Lancashire as well as visitors from Greater Manchester and beyond.
By Peter Chapman
Not the same since the open air pool went.
By Anonymous
You could give certain people of Southport the moon on a stick and they still would ask for whipped cream …
But on this one, It’s a shame the Park & Ride seems to be making way for this, although the parameters of the red area seem to exclude the “eco centre” the purpose of which seemed to be mainly to wait-in for the Park & Ride bus.
Wonder what they’ll do to accommodate the cable landing station in the bus car park?
By JohnMac
These look like ambitious plans and will booked the promenade really nicely with the new Theatre and Convention Centre! Southports on the up!
By Anonymous
Firstly, any investment into this beautiful town is welcomed with open arms. We have fantastic beaches, beautiful villages and fantastic people and a great town with iconic buildings and structures. I have no doubt in years to come Southport will be what it should be. A town with excellent facilities for all. My concern lies around how approx £150m can go to an events centre and surf/spa report (with a hotel), when it’s main point of attraction being the second largest pier in the UK has no funding? It doesn’t make sense!
If anything, knocking down an events centre which clearly failed, doesn’t justify another £70m being spent on a new one.
We have a beautiful hotel on the waterfront which has struggled, so why build another?
For those who mention Southport needs to leave Merseyside and go back to Lancashire, clearly you need to address your own concerns, as this town is currently in talks of major investment.
What county it falls under bodes zero relevance.
What matters is we need to address the foundations and place the pier as the primary concern and ensure it’s fit for purpose by summer 2024.
Failure to do so would be detrimental to the heart of this town.
By D
You’re right ‘Anonymous’. It’s a thousand times better since that ghastly Edwardian open-air pool that was only useable one day a year went.
By Edge
Now get the pier fixed!!
By Anonymous
Just what we need another hotel ?? Sort out the large grass field aka the beach first! Lived here all my life is a complete state the whole town is. We don’t need another hotel there is nothing here. Because the council lets everything rot . Us locals go out of Southport for a nice day out.
By Anonymous
I have been going to Southport and Birkdale all my life and enjoyed it at its best, in the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s you could walk the full length of Lord Street, see half a dozen people you knew and every shop was open with family business’s, it was thriving and a great place to be, Lord Street was something special, great memories, sadly they are memories now, as soon as it dropped into Sefton it went downhill, I doubt it will ever recover no matter how much money they spend on it, they have no idea what to do with it, people who come to Southport do not want to see modern development they want to see its tradition and history revitalised, a very sad state of affairs,
By Anonymous
‘Lets go surfing now….everybody’s learnin how….come on and safari with me’!
By Jabba D
Is this going to replace the park and ride and how will that all fit in if so? Will they be using any of Victoria Oark?
By Anonymous
I think it’s fantastic for everyone. The money and visitors this will bring in will be fantastic for Southport somehow and all those jobs getting created! For future generations it’s great man and it’s near the fair so they’ll be chuffed and it’s just great. Well done 👏 and from a true sandgriunder I really couldn’t care less what Country my address is in I know where I live.
By Sandgrounder71/52
Southport has a great opportunity to greatly enhance its visitor offering by leveraging its unique assets in its heritage – take a look at Bath and / or Harrogate (victorian spa towns reinvented) AND St Andrews (international golf destination) for the obvious clues! And so this project plays into this and should be welcomed. BUT southport should not overlook the basics – its beach and pier (the primary attraction(s) are rapidly deteriorating, the former needs urgent attention (its an absolute disgrace) AND should not get too distracted by pivoting into ‘conferencing’ and ‘tech’ – these can enhance the towns offering, but should not be seen as a replacement for, or a distraction from basics
By RM
To add to the useful suggestions in this thread, might I suggest that the biggest single missing piece in Southport’s jigsaw is the lack of a fast road connection to the M6. A dual carriageway from Scarisbrick New Road to J27 of the M6 would make the town infinitely more connected. Right now, it’s on a limb.
By More Anonymous than the others
This is good for Southport but what about the pier, and the shops on lord think we need to spend money on the town and have a good tidy up.
By Julie Atkinson
Where are all these new visitors going to park?
Where am I going to park?
By Anonymous
this is not democratic
By Pauline Holt