Sefton looks to fill empty Southport spaces with homes
Working with Historic England and local landlords, the council is pushing for vacant first and second floor space on Lord Street to be transformed into up to 300 homes.
Sefton Council hopes the initiative, which is backed by Historic England and the Liverpool City Region, will help rejuvenate the Southport street.
“Lord Street is known for its impressive architecture and we hope that through this project it will see a rejuvenation that preserves its charm while adapting to modern needs,” said Cllr Daren Veidman, Sefton Council’s cabinet member for housing and highways.
“By converting unused spaces above shops into high standard residential accommodation, the project seeks to improve the local economy, environment, and community wellbeing.”
The Lord Street Living project launches this month and aims to help landlords and developers transform vacant first and second floor spaces of privately owned properties “leading to the enhancement and further protection of Lord Street’s long-standing architectural beauty”, according to the council.
Two schemes proposing the redevelopment of vacant space on Lord Street into hotels have emerged this year. The first proposes the redevelopment of the grade two-listed Garrick building on Lord Street in the town centre into a 109-bedroom hotel.
Meanwhile, JD Wetherspoon wants to convert the upper floors of the Sir Henry Segrave on Lord Street into 30 rooms.
Well worth looking at, but ideally needs not to be a piecemeal approach, if Lord Street isn’t to become even more downmarket than it’s heading.
The buildings are generally narrow and deep, so putting access to upper floors at the front can take out a big chunk of the shopfront making them less attractive to potential occupiers. Also a need to be wary of poor quality conversions which could undermine wider hopes for regeneration, as has happened with former hotels/B&Bs in the streets behind.
The former Debenhams building pictured should be a test case, as it’s a big enough building, with good access from both sides, to do something interesting and high quality.
By Napoleon
It’s about time…..as a Southport resident, I’ve been saying this needs to be done for years! You only have to walk down Lord Street at night time to see how dark & empty the majority of space is, above many ground floor retail & leisure units, within some fantastic buildings of notable architectural merit.
Great News!
By Andrew Kingsley
I think Sefton has been supporting developers doing this for about 20 years, but that the heritage implications (meaning whole floors are a single flat, which aren’t viable, so as to not disrupt historic layouts of listed buildings) and a lack of car parking for the occupiers of the flats have resulted in them not coming forward as much as they may have wanted.
Hopefully the support would address those two issues.
By JohnMac
We need affordable shops not more homes
What happened to debhmans ? + TWO MANY puds and wine bars down Lord St, sorry
By Doug
Get on with transforming unused accomodation and bring our high streets back to life.
By Stephen McCarthy
This is great news only if they have suddenly got around the access issue…. especially for emergency services. Many flats are only accessible via the actual shop with a metal fire escape at the back, but some of the flats ( or shop storage) do have separate entrances. I will watch with interest.
By Mary
It’s great doing that, but without the pier and a decent beach which has become overgrown. The rates are too high on Lord street, so we are with cafes, charity shops, the council needs to bring in more independent shops to create variety.
Also to repair the covered walk way which was once a glorious sight to see.
I have lived in this town for over 30years and have watched this Labour lead council slowly drain the life blood out of the town.
Don’t forget the infrastructure not just roads, but also trains, should be pushing for the Burscough curve to be reopened so trains can go to Preston.
We HD facilities in place when I came up here, I’ve watched Radio one party in park which is now a hotel. David Essex and other stars in the venue on the prom, which is being pulled down to be rebuilt, when the council could have stepped during covid and saved it, after all they saved the shopping centre Bootle. We now have to travel to Manchester Preston and Liverpool to see the shows we want.
By Ac
This idea has been proposed for many years and I wonder if it EVER will be put into practice ? So many people could be helped, just get on with it please but it needs a really sympathetic type of building to enhance the area not degrade the area.
By Daisy
Sefton council needs to invest in visitor attractions, amenities and free parking to attract visitors. Repairing the pier would be a good start. Otherwise what is the point of investing in hotel rooms everything has been allowed to go into decline. Also the transport infrastructure is appalling. I won’t use the trains to Manchester anymore as you may get to where you want to but can’t guarantee being able to get home again. I have seen this happen too many times. Get it right!
By Anonymous
This is an excellent idea. The secret to doing this well is to have a design code for Lord Street.
Having residential where shops, facilities and public transport networks is a no-brainer plus this provides passive surveillance.
By Rye
You need to convert the lower empty spaces into retailers, different ones, look at places like Bury, Harrogate etc. Manchester, Liverpool. Retailers do very well there, so can do well in Southport.
By Peter
Perfect, hope it goes ahead. Shameful the amount of empty space in Southport.
By Anonymous
This is all very well but Lord Street needs far better shop.
By Eileen
Brilliant idea. Good quality accommodation will attract people to Southport.
By Rita.radford@btinternet.com
They need to open up to restaurant’s, I recently visited and every good food joint was filled. It’s a shame such lovely shopping district has become so rotten. They have a perfect high street for fast food and regular shopping, there’s literally no reason for this not to be come a new attraction to the area.
By Anonymous
Not a new idea just one that has been ignored for decades. Go to Spain, Italy, France, where people live above shops and other ground floor units, this keeps neighbours alive and provides extra footfall. Sefton needs to apply this in other parts of the Borough, such as on main roads in Bootle, where space above shops is empty and on other occasions the ground level shops are empty too.
There needs to be better planning control when ground floor shops are converted to residential as often the outcome is horrendous with thought of any good looking designs.
By Anonymous
Good area
By Maria
All well and good, but no use whatsoever if Sefton Council don’t tidy up the town. The pier needs fixing, the theatre looks to remain derelict, and Hesketh Park is a mess. Stop charging for parking in town to encourage shoppers, and I agree, fix the famous Lord Street canopy.
By Sandgrounder