Sefton Council’s ruling Labour group has used its numbers to vote AGAINST “working actively with local residents, traders, the ‘Southport BID’ and local councillors across party to identify and implement methods of addressing the issues affecting the centre of Southport.”
At the Council Meeting last Thursday at Bootle Town Hall. a motion seeking to have the entire community of Southport involved in determining the town’s future was voted down by the ruling Labour group.
Southport Town Centre Councillor Tony Dawson, who had sought the Council’s support for involving local people in creating the right sort of town centre for the future, said:
“Due to the growth of internet shopping as well as competition from newer centres with larger shops, not a single person I have spoken to believes that the shape and size of the retail provision in and around Lord Street can be the same in ten years time as it was ten or twenty years ago. I believe that the residents of this town should be the people who are involved in deciding the future shape of our Southport town centre.”
“Of course it was disappointing that the Bootle Labour Party has voted in this negative way. Sadly, there is an exclusive ‘control agenda’ still operating in Sefton Council. This can only be to the detriment of Southport which remains the biggest town and the biggest retail centre within the borough.”
“However, I am sure that there are a number of good officers working within the council who will simply ignore the politicians who vote against being inclusive – and who will be happy to listen to the people of our town about the kind of town centre we think is tight and sustainable for the future.”
Note: The motion which the Liberal Democrats supported but Labour voted down read:
RETAIL CENTRES FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
This Council, recognising the fundamental changes presently affecting the retail environment of Britain in general, and in Southport in particular, commits itself to:
(1) working actively with local residents, traders, the ‘Southport BID’ and local councillors across party to identify and implement methods of addressing the issues affecting the centre of Southport particularly, seeking to be involved actively rather than passively observing piecemeal decline; and
(2) applying itself similarly to the issues confronting other smaller retail centres located within the communities which are served by the Borough of Sefton.
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