Seaside town loved by French royalty 'about to get a whole lot better'
It is the Merseyside town once so beloved and adored by French Royalty it reportedly went on to inspire the Emperor of France to completely redesign Paris.
But the days when European nobility strolled along the Southport's opulent and tree-lined passageways are long gone - what remains is a town caught between the glamour of its past and the potential of its future. Southport has a lot of things going for it and is still recognised as an iconic seaside town - despite the ongoing closure of its pleasure pier.
However, there is also a sense the town been diminished in recent years with visible signs of decay in the town centre and a growing sense that something needs to be done to reverse the decline. According to Andrew Brown, the reason Southport became such a successful visitor attraction was through 'its ambition, its innovation and its creativity'.
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Andrew would like to see the town embrace this aspect of its history to forge a new path, and said: "We created landmarks such as Southport Pier, the Winter Gardens, Lord Street and many more. It was all based on giving people the best experiences possible and making sure they left the town with happy memories."
Andrew draws attention to a number of regeneration projects underway in Southport including projects being facilitated and delivered by Sefton Council. There's no doubt things like the forthcoming Marine Lake Events Centre, The Garrick theatre & Spa and the Cove Resort are creating a lot of excitement and the 2025 events programme - including the Southport Flower Show and the Southport Air Show - there's a new buzz about the place.
Andrew added: "Everywhere you go in Southport town centre this year you see building work - and it’s a really promising sign. There is lots to enjoy in Southport already. Many reasons for people to come. But 2025 is a year when it’s about to get a whole lot better."
The potential of Southport is what attracted Tracy Jones, who opened The Plant Room shop in early 2023 after moving from Brighton. Tracy's husband is from Southport so she visited the town for much of her adult life before finally settling there two years ago.
Tracy Jones fell in love with Southport's architecture and the “beautiful” shop fronts and decorations displayed up and down Lord Street. She was also excited to open up a business in the town and saw its rich potential, but was equally realistic about the pace of change and how quickly the town could be regenerated.
Redevelopment works are now underway to pedestrianise Market Street, improve interconnectivity and create new public spaces. It is welcome news to many local businesses who hope the project will result in increased footfall. Nonetheless, it also means major roadworks for the next nine months.
Tracy also discusses the challenges in keeping an independent shop open in difficult economic circumstances and hopes work to regenerate the area around Market Street will add vital investment into the area, she said: "Southport has got beautiful architecture, beautiful green spaces, but it does need some work - a bit of TLC and a bit of belief and backing. If everybody in the town spent five pounds a week locally, I think it's worth something like 80 million pounds a year.
"Just five pounds, you know, just do one shop, one thing in town. That's all it takes and that's how a place thrives. And I think some people miss that. It's okay for people to say 'we need more shops'. But there are a lot of empty shops. It takes an awful lot to open a shop. It's not just 'I've got a pocket full of money and I'll open it'. It's not as simple as that.
"It's difficult and it's a challenge. It's a sort of less than an ideal situation at the minute, but there's a lot to be hopeful for."
David Winn is the owner of Met Quarter Tattoo in Southport's Market Quarter' where he has been operating for almost eight years. Dave has lived in the town for most of his life after moving as a young child and has plenty of ideas on how to improve the area.
Dave is sceptical about regeneration projects like 'Transformation de Southport' - which is aimed at places like Market Street - and worries about the lack of consultation with independent businesses, particularly around the impact of roadworks scheduled for completion in October, he said: "For the council to make such a big decision to close down the roads in the area, they should have given some sort of compensation for the smaller businesses.
"All the shops down the rest of this road, they rely on the foot traffic and now there's a danger that will lessen significantly over the next nine months. They've still got to pay full rent for rates, for everything. I think there should have been some sort of financial help for them over and I worry whether they'll survive."
Nonetheless he is encouraged that things are moving forward, Dave said: "It's step in the right direction. Anything that's moving forward is better than nothing happening.
"It feels like Southport is in the middle of another change because it's been stale for quite a long time so, it feels like a good time to change things up. What I would say is not everything has to be new because what we've got here are so many beautiful shops and a lot of them are lying empty and in bad condition. Investment to refurbish them and make them affordable to rent would be a good thing to do."
These sentiments are echoed by Eva Kubicka who has been running the Sewing Room on King Street for the last three years. Eva is originally from Poland but said she has fallen in love with Southport and is keen to emphasise the positive aspects of ongoing improvement works, she said: "It's really nice here and in the summer I get a lot of tourists just coming in and asking me if I can do some jobs for them. So, work that brings more people here is really good.
"When a project starts, we're waiting for the results, but I see already on the picture in the plans how beautiful it will be afterwards. Then it's easier to accept as the job is getting done and hopefully it will work out."
The works mentioned by Tracy, Dave and Eva are part of Sefton Council's 'Les Transformations de Southport' regeneration project which aims to return the town 'to the grandeur of Victorian England' when it was the country’s second most popular tourist destination. The name of the proposal is a reference to a curious bit of 19th century history involving the Emperor of France's visit to Southport.
According to legend in 1838, Prince Louis Napoleon, later Emperor Napoleon III was living in exile and chose to stay in Southport. It was said the Prince was so inspired by the grandeur and elegance of Lord Street that he ordered Baron Haussmann to model the reconstruction of Paris on it. Les Transformations de Paris made the French capital the 'Southport of the South' and the boulevards of today's Paris are thought to be based on the Prince's memories of Lord Street.
Commenting on the connection between Southport and Paris and the local authority's regeneration plan, Sefton Council leader, Marion Atkinson said: "Les Transformations de Southport will ensure we again fulfil the potential of our public realm spaces, on Lord Street and beyond." She added: "The illumination of Lord Street, lighting within the landscape of the iconic town centre Boulevard, will be a key feature of this exciting project."
Sefton Council confirmed work is underway on the first phase of the public realm enhancements scheme at Market Street, King Street and Eastbank Street. Furthermore and in addition to the Town Deal funding of £2.5m, more than £2m of additional capital funding has been allocated by the council to ensure that 'these improvements are of the highest standard for this exciting area of the town centre'.
A spokesperson from Sefton Council added: "Engagement with nearby businesses and stakeholders is continuing, and the works will be concluded this year – this is as per the original Town Deal bid for Southport, and as is the case with the Enterprise Arcade, the Marine Lake Events Centre and the water and light show, we are delivering what we said we would deliver in that original submission."
Recognising the wider challenges Southport faces as a coastal town, Cllr Paulette Lappin was clear in reinforcing Sefton Council’s vision for a thriving seaside destination and a vibrant hub of economic and cultural activity, she said: “We are delivering on our commitments to Southport." She added: “Not only are these projects directly impactful but they have also catalysed significant private sector investment, with exciting developments such as the Cove Resort project, enhanced Pleasureland attractions, renewed interest in key sites like the Waterfront Hotel, Lord Street, and the former BHS building, and more, all continuing to progress.”