New look High Street could unlock Southport's economic and green potential says campaigner

David Barton would like to see the High Street go under a redesign.

A campaigner for the heritage of Southport, Merseyside is advocating for his Local Authority to consider redesigning the main high street to grant dual access along the southern end from Coronation Walk and Kingsway including Portland Street up to the roundabout interlinking with Duke Street in a bid to boost its economic potential and green credentials for the long-term future.

David Barton is a fervent believer in combining civic heritage with the practical everyday benefits of modern-day life. He believes that by making proactive efforts to further integrate the entire length of Lord Street, this can and will only have vast advantages for all stakeholders including the planet.

The community campaigner, whose ultimate focus has been and remains the restoration of Southport and its reclamation of its “Classic Resort” status, maintains that his proposal to allow turning south sooner will strengthen investor confidence in selecting units along this cross-section of the Town Centre alongside generating a lower carbon footprint through reduced time spent on the road via travelling further onwards before being able to turn back in the opposite direction.

Mr Barton says: “Having originally raised this subject with Sefton Council back in 2014, I was informed at that time that prohibition of right turns into and out of Coronation Walk and Kingsway were introduced by the County Borough of Southport back in 1972. Whilst the official reasons remain unknown to this day, it has been since surmised for two main reasons that this was implemented. These included potential collisions and obstructions caused by parked cars leading to delayed turning maneuvers.”

He says: “Whilst I accept that it may have been previously costly to facilitate extensive kerb realignments and relocation of signage alongside the removal of the TRO (Traffic Regulation Order) and a number of the seldom-used traffic refuge islands, I believe that with new mass-scale funding available and the global environmental crisis, that this proposal should therefore be duly reconsidered in light of the dual green and economic merits that providing motorists with greater navigation of the carriageway would bring.”

“By allowing motorists to turn southwards sooner, this will not only lead to more people traversing this cross-section of the high street more frequently than before, but also greater interlinked retail activity and far less congestion on this and surrounding roads. This will be especially beneficial when considering the centre of Lord Street surrounding Eastbank Street, which during rush hour will see lowered emissions and a more welcoming streetscape for pedestrians of all ages.”

“It is no coincidence that overall vacant units are predominantly so south of the high street, therefore to keep the golden mile of Southport a celebrated one for local residents and visitors, a large impact must be made to capitalise on the town’s retail potential, particularly where a green case can be made.”

“One further item worth taking into consideration should finance present an issue in delaying proceedings is the various funding grants available that specifically target items such as this, for instance the “Transforming Cities Fund” and “Sustained Travel Access Fund”- both of which are quoted in the Towns Fund Guidance.”

“By exploring new cross-linking of grant funding spanning a number of infrastructure projects, this can only serve to increase the successful yield of Sefton Council in acquiring these from Central Government, especially when taking into account the combined economic and green rationale presented.”