Call for action to tidy up eyesore council buildings

Photo: Cllr David Barton

Call for action to tidy up eyesore council buildings

A leading campaigner for the restoration and regeneration of Southport has called for action to improve eyesore Sefton Council buildings which are creating a bad impression of the town.

Cllr David Barton, who represents Dukes Ward, said that the work to tidy up the rundown structures should begin before scores of visitors and potential investors came to the area for The Open golf tournament at Royal Birkdale in July.

He said that the former toilet buildings situated just after the Venetian Bridge at Kings Gardens required much-needed repairs and maintenance and called on local businesses to help fund the work.

He said: “The toilets were decommissioned many years ago and have stood empty for some time. Once decommissioned they were handed over to the council’s Tourism department as they sit within the seafront but the buildings didn’t come with a maintenance budget and with an already overstretched Seafront budget the department has never been in a position to repair them.”

Cllr Barton said he had been informed that there was no budget available for the work but stressed that it was key for Southport to be at its best for the forthcoming Open, when the town would be on full public display to a largely international audience.

He said: “Visitors will include people of all ages and generations who are likely to frequent our Parks during their stay. At the very least we should endeavour to remove the graffiti which covers these buildings.

“I would urge local businesses, especially those in the immediate vicinity to consider paying for this work to be done as we need to make a collective effort to make Southport shine for everyone.”

“I would also recommend closer consultation with all businesses and stakeholders across the Kings Gardens for their views before any future decisions are made in light of the recent tree felling there.

“I am hopeful that either a lone investor or ideally a cohort from the surrounding Kings Gardens could help fund the maintenance of the toilets together with a larger contribution from those businesses much closer by as a token of goodwill to the local community.

“It is essential that this matter is addressed as soon as possible now the buildings are highly visible to the general public. I would urge the Council to tidy and maintain as many of its assets as possible across Southport beyond this year to increase the probability of acquiring further investment into the town.”

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