Sefton resubmits Heritage Lottery Fund bid

The council is working with Southport Business Improvement District for a £1.7m townscape heritage project to revamp the town centre, following last year’s unsuccessful application.

If approved, property owners will be able to apply for funding to help deliver structural and external repairs on historic buildings and bring vacant floorspace back into use.

The project will focus on areas between Lord Street and the Promenade linking the town centre and the seafront. In 2006, HLF funding was used to restore King’s Gardens, restoring properties in Nevill Street, Seabank Road and Scarisbrick Avenue.  In April this year, the pier received £2m from the Coastal Communities Fund.

Cllr Daren Veidman, cabinet member for planning and building control, said: “We are competing against other local authorities for this funding, and we know from previous years it is massively oversubscribed. Therefore, it is important we make our application strong and unique, and community support is vital to this.

“At the moment we really want Southport residents and businesses to get involved and give us their views on the project.”

Hugh Evans, from Southport BID, added: “BIDs are often successful at attracting funding in addition to the BID levy. As that’s one of our main objectives we’re committed to supporting this application because, if successful, it could match-fund the levy pound for pound.”

The original bid was part of a two-stage process for an initial grant of £67,000 which would have led to funding of up to £1.5m. This application is for an initial grant of £1.7m, which could eventually provide a combined funding pot of up to £3m.

The application is set to be submitted in December. If successful, a second will be submitted in 2018.

Residents are encouraged to complete questionnaires on the funding by 6 November, which can be found on Sefton Council’s website.