Southport’s Town Hall Gardens set for ‘unifying’ £10m regen
Sefton Council has put forward plans to sensitively transform the public gardens into an improved, safe, and creative space for musicians, dancers, artists, and more, a project heavily influenced by the families of the girls murdered in the 2024 Southport attack.
The families of victims Alice Aguiar, Bebe King, and Elsie Stancombe, who were killed by Axel Rudakubana last year, were pivotal in securing the £10m investment needed to kick-start the plan and will sit on the board overseeing the project.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority have pledged £5m, and the government and Sefton Council are allocating £2.5m each to the £10m works.
Once complete, the Town Hall Gardens will almost double in size and be opened up for open-air performances, markets, and community events, in a “unifying setting”, surrounded by floral planters and seating areas.
Southport currently has no central area that could be used for large-scale events, which the Town Hall Gardens plan would seek to rectify.
Tiered seating would replace flat areas currently walled off and lacking in character, allowing for seamless public movement through the garden.
Sefton Council has said that the inspiration for the redesign has been heavily influenced by the Piece Hall in Halifax.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who is overseeing the regeneration, said it would “create a safe community space for connection, reflection, and renewal”.
Any regeneration would require the removal of two pavilions on each side of the garden, the current fountain, and the only heritage asset on the site, a small unit that has long been used to store deck chairs.
Currently, the gardens are underused and generally ignored by the population, according to the council. The transformation aims to increase town centre footfall and create a central meeting point for the town.
The project features a tryptic bench to pay homage to Bebe, Elsie, and Alice. Credit: KKA Architects
By reimaging the Town Hall Gardens, the families hope the space will be “safe and joyful”, and one “full of creative expression”, as well as contributing to Southport’s ongoing economic growth journey.
Indicative early-stage plans have been drawn up by Chris Long of KKA Architects, the uncle of Elsie Stancombe, and include a feature circular bench, divided into three sections, which would be installed as an homage to the three girls.
Cllr Marion Atkinson, Leader of Sefton Council, said: “A space for joy, culture, and togetherness will reflect Elsie, Alice, and Bebe’s vibrancy in such a beautifully positive way.
“The Town Hall Gardens and The Atkinson were where the community came together in their grief, demonstrating Southport’s incredible strength.
“It was a place of togetherness then, it is a place of togetherness now, and it will be for years to come.”
The families of Alice Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Stancombe issued a joint statement welcoming the project, which said: “This project is a vision we have all shared for some time, which is rooted in love, resilience, and unity.
“We wanted to find a way to thank the people of Southport for standing shoulder to shoulder with us. Your compassion has never wavered, and your strength has helped carry us forward.
“The regeneration of the Town Hall Gardens will become a legacy inspired by our three beautiful and amazing girls, and it will be a space that is loved by many generations to come.”
The scheme will open up a central events space for the first time in the town. Credit: KKA Architects.
While I am totally supportive for a legacy project for the three girls, I cannot understand the extent of this total redevelopment of the area which is a space that is well used by the public on a daily basis. £10m is a ridiculous amount of money to be spent and totally unnecessary. The Pier is still rotting away in front of our eyes with no plan for refurbishment. The current council seem intent on stripping away all the heritage assets and focussing on spending money on projects which are devoid of character and substance. While I’m at it how about shining a light on Ainsdale where the Toad Hall and Sands buildings are disintegrating again with no vision for adding value to what should be an asset and revenue generator.
By Anonymous
Waste of money Nice as it is
By Anonymous
Regrettably, I am in agreement with both commentators. When will people ever learn from past mistakes when it comes to dabbling with public realm. To replace the existing gardens with wide open space is pure madness.
By Anonymous
Really strange and expensive scheme to have apparently come out of nowhere to replace an area which is already very pleasant, perfectly useful if Sefton could manage an events programme, and very much in keeping with the historic surroundings, all when there is so much else in Southport in need of improving.
The idea of a formal commemoration of the young victims is admirable but this looks like it will be quite a bleak and generic plaza for most of the year given the weather, and if the things poking up across the centre are fountains, it will just be the same problems which have plagued the ones in Liverpool and Manchester over and over. Regardless of the sentiment, it’s not clear from projects on their website that KKA has any expertise in big public realm projects like this so it might have been better to seek proposals more widely and then consult rather than making people feel they are gatecrashing a commemoration.
Part of the problem is that Southport as a whole is now “underused and generally ignored by the population” which Sefton Council doesn’t seem to be able to tackle beyond strategies on paper and boosterish statements from Bootle.
By Ron Atkinson
I think having a memorial to these girls is the correct thing to do, but I don’t understand why the pointless and expensive redevelopment of the town hall square is relevant to their memory. Sounds more like some council officials vanity project to me. Money could be better spent.
By Anonymous
The centre of town is fine.How about a new park with cafe for the memory of the girls There may be land at Zew .Plenty of trees and plants could be planted also help combat climate change.
By Anonymous
Out of interest given the site has been bang in the middle of a key Conservation Area since 1973 and directly affects the setting of a row of prominent listed buildings, has Historic England been consulted or involved in any way on this? If they were, someone must really have been having an off day. Sefton Council has already turned Chapel Street into an grim grey linear plaza when the sun isn’t shining, dead once the shops shut that will be finally finished off once M&S gets round to shutting down and moving to one of the retail parks. They don’t learn.
By Sandy Grounder
I agree that a memorial for these three girls must be made in Southport. However completely redeveloping the entire area seems totally unnecessary. We have Chapel Street which is dirty with broken flags and far from being a place fitting for a seaside town. Visitors coming off the trains must think they have arrived in a slum district. Lord Street is also in a disgraceful state with weeds growing through flags which are already dirty due to the cafes and restaurants never cleaning outside their premises. There is no need to mention much about the pier – everyone already knows that it has been left to rot away into the sea and join the once lovely beach that has been left to grassland.
By Anonymous