Campaigner praises collaborative effort in Southport Market progress
David Barton took on the 2018 campaign and believes community cooperation is the way forward for the town.
Southport Market.
A campaigner for the heritage of Southport, Merseyside has highlighted the importance of positive and constructive working from personal experience and why efforts should be made from all quarters to support a landmark civic asset as part of the town’s long-term regeneration plan.
David Barton previously undertook an extensive campaign in 2018 on behalf of and in conjunction with traders and nearby local businesses. This was designed to support and fiscally stimulate the retail economy of both the Indoor Market, a mainstay since the 1800s and the surrounding Market Street Area covering King Street, Princes Street, Eastbank Street & Queen Anne Street.
The community campaigner, whose ultimate focus has been and remains the restoration of Southport first met with concerned stallholders in early 2018 and together undertook a vast amount of work to identify the key concerns and potential solutions regarding how to make the best impact for everyone.
He arranged and partook in a succession of meetings and organised canvassing sessions, which included the assistance of the team at Southport MakeItWorkShop and other long-term supporters to procure the relevant level of consultation to be formally registered with the Local Authority.
The proposals outlined and set out for consideration by the Council were:-
- An improved Marketing Forward Plan that best showcases the Market
- Improved signage reminiscent to Scarisbrick Avenue at both ends of Market Street
- Permission for more leniency such as free display of stalls in empty units
- Increased drive towards uptake of empty stalls that have not been leased since the Market’s redevelopment with business incentives such as reduced rates and rents
- Utilisation of social entertainment within the Market grounds throughout the Year, especially prominent Seasonal Occasions
- Special coordinated advertising campaigns exhibiting present Stalls and business opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages
- Relocation of Coaches closer towards Southport Market
- Further support for new businesses especially with producing a sound business plan that will help them achieve longevity and becoming an established part of Southport Market
Upon acquiring 560 individual feedback forms from a vast and varied cohort of the community together with a 2000 signature petition, this culminated in a special session heard before Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council. For any item of business raised by the public for discussion by the Council, a key stipulation was for a minimum threshold of 2000 signatures to be achieved to receive the necessary input.
During the Full Council Session the Lead Petitioner- Mr. Ray Owens a local businessman who had been a stallholder in recent times put forward the case, citing the team’s proposals and the relevance and wider benefit of these moving forwards for everyone including the Local Authority itself. This was accompanied by a speech from then Councillor David Barton emphasising the commercial importance to the Local Authority and its corresponding impact for the community.
Despite derision and filibustering incurred from the local Liberal Democrats towards the team it was unanimously agreed by the Sefton Cabinet that action was indeed needed and that they would in fact be taking forward the proposals officially in some form in due course subject to the points that had been raised.
During Summer 2019, the Council followed up on our campaign announcing plans for a full refurbished event space and social hub whilst retaining the historical character of the famed building. An official consultation launched by the Local Authority then followed in Autumn of that year leading to the present set of plans that have been actioned for the Market’s redevelopment specializing as a grand dining hall, drawing inspiration from other leading UK and European markets.
This latest incarnation, which has since been formally approved has included local, Regional and Central Government support covering the £1.4m expenditure with £900,000.00 already committed from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Southport Town Deal acceleration fund. The Market is now set to reopen between Spring/Summer 2021.
Mr Barton says: “I sincerely hope that the final plans agreed and approved by Sefton Council are successful, especially considering the immense endeavours already undertaken to date by our campaign team. The very fact that support has been obtained from all three tiers of Government is testament to the fact that civic heritage is commercially worth pursuing and will benefit the community.”
He says: “The Market represents a microcosm of the town itself, being a grand piece of civic heritage with vast retail potential, that hasn’t quite been maximised. Our aim was always to work collaboratively with the Local Authority to achieve the best possible future for the market and the surrounding neighbourhood. I hope that our actions may not only protect another part of Southport’s long-standing history, but also encourage more people to invest and visit Southport, government guidelines permitting.”
“Be it the people who gave up their time to canvass on our collective behalf, the lead petitioner bravely speaking before the Local Authority or the people that kindly took their time to put in writing their views regarding the Market’s future, without these people nothing would have materialised for the betterment of traders or the surrounding community.”
“On the basis that many of our proposals have since been actioned and taken forward, I would therefore like to thank all the original people that have managed to facilitate and enable positive change and action to now happen here. In no particular order I wish to thank: Ray Owens, Debbie Clarke, Daniel Parr, Chloe Fairfoull and Ray Mutch graciously for their continued belief and commitment to this wide-spanning development, in the truest sense, which is now beginning to flourish.”
