92-572: Blowick is a suburb on the east side of the town of Southport , Merseyside , England. Blowick is part of the ancient parish of North Meols and was formerly a detached settlement, on the northern fringe of what is now Southport. The name derives from the Old Norse name Bla Vik meaning "dark bay" as it was located at the end of a large inlet on the ancient lake of Martin Mere called "The Wyke" which ended roughly at Crowland Street and drained into
184-473: A channel to drain Martin Mere to the sea. From this point on, attempts at large-scale drainage of Martin Mere and other marshland continued until the 19th century, since when the water has been pumped away. This left behind a legacy of fine agricultural soil and created a booming farming industry. In the late 18th century, it was becoming fashionable for the well-to-do to desert inland spa towns and visit
276-541: A combined authority was approved by Parliamentary statutory order in late March, and it legally came into existence from 1 April 2014. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will become the top-tier administrative body of Liverpool City Region. It will be a body corporate responsible for strategic decision making. The six local authorities in the area constituting the combined authority will pool together powers over economic development, regeneration and transport policy. The combined authority originally comprised seven members:
368-406: A dependence on tourism the town is also home to businesses both in the private and public sector. Some manufacturing facilities were situated in the town, most notably Chewits were manufactured in the town from 1965 to 2006, only closing to move production to Slovakia . Manufacturing has diminished in the last few decades and only a few sites are still in production in the town today. Lord Street
460-596: A district of Lancashire: the final recommendations in 1991 "concluded that public opinion was more evenly divided than initially thought", and also that eastward transport links with Lancashire were poor compared to those southward to the Liverpool area. The government again directed the Local Government Commission for England to make a review in December 1996 (after it had finished the work on
552-453: A million people travel on Irish Sea ferry services from Liverpool Docks and Birkenhead's Twelve Quays to Belfast , Dublin and the Isle of Man , and there is a growing number of cruise ships making day calls at the port. A new terminal at Prince's Dock provides check-in, baggage drop and reclaim, as well as customs and border facilities for thousands of cruise liner passengers visiting
644-569: A month, until broken by J.G. Parry-Thomas . Southport elected their first ever Labour MP in the 2024 general election . On 29 July 2024, three girls aged 6, 7 and 9 were murdered in a stabbing incident , with eight children and two adults left injured. A violent riot the following day in response to the stabbings organised by far-right groups left 53 police officers injured, with eight sustaining serious injuries. Multiple police vehicles were burned and destroyed and shops were raided. In 2024 Southport elected its first ever Labour MP since
736-639: A negative effect on climate change . The airport has responded by saying it 'naturally recognises its wider environmental responsibilities' and has promised measures to protect the areas around the Oglet Shore, with proposals for a revitalised 50 hectare coastal reserve. The airport argues that it brings significant economic benefits to the city region by supporting its international visitor economy and providing jobs for local people. Airport bosses also plan to reach net carbon zero by 2040 through on site renewable energy generation. The Liverpool City Region
828-489: A plaque in the vicinity, by the name of one street at the intersection, namely Duke Street, and by a hotel on Duke Street which bears the legacy name of Dukes Folly Hotel. Southport grew quickly in the 19th century as it gained a reputation for being a more refined seaside resort than its neighbour Blackpool . Southport had a head start compared to all the other places on the Lancashire coast because it had easy access to
920-529: A population 200. The population was scattered thinly across the region, and it was at the northeast end of Otergimele (present-day Crossens), where blown sand gave way to alluvial deposits from the River Ribble estuary, that a small concentration of people occurred. It was here that a primitive church might have been built, which gave the emerging village its name of Churchtown, the parish being North Meols (pronounced "meals"). A church called St Cuthbert's
1012-443: A sixth form college King George V College . The former was previously a secondary modern school and the latter a grammar school . Blowick is served by Meols Cop railway station on Northern's Manchester to Southport Line . The station opened in 1887, originally as part of the Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway . In years gone by, Blowick had a further two railway stations: Butts Lane Halt (closed 1938), also on
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#17327869403301104-479: A unitary authority, with Banks wishing to see it tied to Lancashire ceremonially , but Fearn wishing to see it remain, as a separate borough, in Merseyside. The commission noted that Southport would have a relatively low population for a unitary authority, even including Formby (89,300 or 114,700), and that it was worried about the viability of a south Sefton authority without Southport, and therefore recommended
1196-577: Is governed by the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region , and the combined authority, which is responsible for areas of transport, trade and strategic governance of devolved powers in the town and wider Sefton Borough. Southport is located within the historic county of Lancashire , and was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1866. It became a county borough independent of the administrative county of Lancashire in 1905, having reached
1288-698: Is a combined authority area in North West England . It has six council areas: the five metropolitan boroughs of Merseyside ( Liverpool , Knowsley , St Helens , Sefton , Wirral ) and the unitary authority of Halton in Cheshire . The region had a population of 1,571,045 in 2022. The region's mayor and combined authority (LCRCA) have a devolution deal responsible for economic development, regeneration, transport, employment and skills, tourism, culture, housing, spatial planning and physical infrastructure. The region's economic development
1380-455: Is a growing airport with annual passenger numbers approaching 5 million, making it one of the UK's busiest airports. Liverpool John Lennon Airport serves more than 60 direct routes which include most major European cities. This extends to over 150 destinations across five continents via a dedicated one-stop hub connection flight to Frankfurt Airport , courtesy of Lufthansa . The airport
1472-611: Is also a memorial inside the Lifeboat house, now operated by the Southport Offshore Rescue Trust . Mexico was just one of many shipwrecks in the Southport area . From 1894 to 1912 Birkdale and the adjoining village of Ainsdale were separate from Southport and administered by Birkdale Urban District Council before becoming part of the county borough of Southport in 1912. This was a huge expansion of
1564-841: Is covered by BBC North West and ITV Granada . TalkLiverpool is a local television station serving the Liverpool City Region and surrounding areas which broadcasts to the area. Television signals in the area are received from the Winter Hill TV transmitter and the Storeton relay transmitter which is situated in the Wirral Peninsula . The area has serval radio stations including, BBC Radio Merseyside , Capital Liverpool , Hits Radio Liverpool (formerly Radio City), Greatest Hits Radio Liverpool & The North West , In Demand Radio , Liverpool Live Radio , Heart North West and Smooth North West . Local newspaper that serves
1656-482: Is known as Blowick Moss Lane. The Southport gas holder on Crowland Street was the tallest building on the Southport skyline, visible from as far afield as Blackpool and Parbold . The largest tower was decommissioned in January 2008, due to an environmental risk posed by the storage of oil within it. In September 2008, National Grid announced that two of the three gas towers would be dismantled by August 2009, with
1748-510: Is now called Liverpool City Region has a population of around 1.5 million", but also referred to "an urban region that spreads from Wrexham and Flintshire to Chester , Warrington , West Lancashire and across to Southport ", with a population of 2.3 million. The European Union's ESPON calculated the Liverpool metropolitan area to be over 2.2 million people. The neighbouring local authorities of Warrington Borough Council and West Lancashire are associate members of
1840-650: Is now styled as Mayor of the Liverpool City Region . The Mayor wields a number of powers devolved from central government and is seen as the chief representative of the city region in National and International affairs, and also serves as the Chairperson of the Combined Authority. The Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, which has now been absorbed by the LCRCA, was established in 2010 and
1932-618: Is often called England's Golfing Capital because it is at the centre of England's Golf Coast. Royal Birkdale Golf Club is one of the clubs in the Open Championship rotation for both men and women. The club has hosted the men's championship ten times since 1954, most recently in July 2017, and has hosted the women's tournament five times, including 2010. Southport's other courses include the 9-hole Southport Old Links in High Park,
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#17327869403302024-653: Is operated by Merseytravel , the combined Passenger Transport Executive and integrated transport authority and public sector body responsible for the coordination of public transport across the Liverpool city region. Merseyrail is an urban rail operating almost 800 trains per day carrying over 100,000 passengers within the city region, on its network of 68 stations. The Merseyrail network includes five underground stations in Liverpool City Centre and Birkenhead centre. The UK government has insisted that
2116-727: Is served by easyJet , Ryanair , Lufthansa , Jet2.com , Wizz Air , Play Airlines , Aer Lingus , Loganair and Widerøe . As part of LJLA's Master Plan, the airport is planning for substantial expansion between 2030 - 2050. This includes larger terminal buildings in order to handle extra passengers, extending the runway, targeting permanent direct long haul flights and creating new hotels, restaurants and commercial space. The expansion plans have sparked concerns by local environmental campaign groups who suggest that expanded airport facilities will encroach on surrounding green space and agricultural land, especially at Oglet Shore . There are also concerns that growth in passenger numbers will have
2208-554: Is still at the centre of Churchtown. With a booming fishing industry, the area grew and hamlets became part of the parish of North Meols. From south to north, these villages were South Hawes, Haweside, Little London, Higher Blowick , Lower Blowick, Rowe-Lane, Churchtown, Marshside , Crossens , and Banks . As well as Churchtown, there were vicarages in Crossens and Banks. Parts of the parish were almost completely surrounded by water until 1692 when Thomas Fleetwood of Bank Hall cut
2300-472: Is the main shopping street of Southport. It is one of the great shopping streets of Northern England and is said to be the inspiration for the tree-lined boulevards of Paris. In the 2000s Chapel Street was pedestrianised and is home to famous brands. Southport also has an indoor market situated on King Street and Market Street as well as a farmers' market held on the last Thursday of every month on Chapel Street. Southport has hosted conferences since at least
2392-609: Is the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles , were constructed. A particular feature of the town is the extensive tree planting. This was one of the conditions required by the Hesketh family when they made land available for development in the 19th century. Hesketh Park at the northern end of the town is named after them, having been built on land donated by Rev. Charles Hesketh. Extensive sand dunes stretch for several miles from Woodvale to Birkdale ,
2484-467: Is traditionally seen as a service sector economy , with its so called knowledge economy providing one third of the local employment base and over 40% of its total economic value. According to statistics for 2008, the Life sciences sector accounts for almost 10% of the region's economy, over 71,000 people are employed in financial and professional services, over 34,000 in manufacturing , and almost 24,000 in
2576-482: The 2021 census , Southport had a population of 94,421, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England and the third most populous settlement in the Liverpool City Region . The town was founded in 1792 by William Sutton , an innkeeper from Churchtown , who built a bathing house at what is now the south end of Lord Street . The area was previously known as South Hawes, and
2668-622: The M57 acts as an outer ring road and bypass for the city of Liverpool itself. The area has relatively low road congestion and its central location makes it an efficient base from which to service the whole country. Various parts of the region are separated by the River Mersey , and as a result, Wirral is connected to the centre of Liverpool via the Queensway Tunnel and Kingsway Tunnel , whereas Widnes and Runcorn are connected by
2760-461: The Middle East and South America . Imports include grain and animal feed , timber , steel, coal, cocoa, crude oil, edible oils and liquid chemicals; and exports of scrap metal for recycling. A second container terminal, Liverpool2 at Seaforth , was designed to handle the largest Post-Panamax vessels and doubled the port's capacity when it opened in 2016. Almost three quarters of
2852-638: The Northwest Regional Development Agency , the three regional development agencies in the North of England, were invited to form a partnership, and in September 2004, they published the document Moving Forward: The Northern Way First Growth Strategy Report . Within the document, eight city regions in the North were identified, including the Liverpool city region. It was argued that economic growth could be accelerated with
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2944-567: The Silver Jubilee Bridge . A second six-lane toll bridge under the name Mersey Gateway , to relieve congestion on the ageing Silver Jubilee Bridge, opened in 2017. The bridge is designed to improve transport links between Widnes and Runcorn and other key locations in the vicinity. Major cycling routes on the National Cycle Network (such as National Cycle Route 56 and National Cycle Route 62 ) pass through
3036-618: The West Coast Main Line and investment in high speed Pendolino trains, means journey time to London Euston is within two hours via Avanti West Coast . East Midlands Railway serves Norwich , Manchester , Sheffield and Nottingham . TransPennine Express operates daily services to Leeds , Middlesbrough , Hull , York , and Newcastle . Northern operates to Huddersfield , Preston , Warrington , and Blackpool , whilst direct links to Birmingham are possible via West Midlands Trains . The sub-regional rail network
3128-514: The creation of unitary authorities ), commencing in January 1997. This review was constrained by the legal inability of the commission to recommend that the current Sefton-West Lancashire border be altered. In a MORI poll conducted at the behest of the LGCE, 65% of Southport residents supported the campaign, compared to 37% in the borough as a whole. Local MPs Matthew Banks and Ronnie Fearn (MPs for Southport at various times) supported making Southport
3220-418: The creative and digital industry . The area is strongly connected to global markets, through its ports, airports and by its many multinational companies. World companies such as Barclays Wealth , Jaguar Land Rover , Maersk , Novartis , Sony and Unilever , all have a major base of operation in the locality. Since its creation, the Liverpool city region authorities have overseen and invested in some of
3312-623: The 1200s, currently between Wirral and Liverpool City Centre at Seacombe, Woodside and Liverpool Pier Head. From 2009–2010 it had 684,000 passengers using the service . The Port of Liverpool handles most commercial shipping, but several other ports on the Wirral peninsula , such as Great Float and Queen Elizabeth II Dock , operate too. The Port of Liverpool is container ports that handles over 33 million tonnes of freight cargo per year and serves more than 100 global destinations including Africa, Australia, China, India,
3404-660: The 1880s when the Royal Institution met in the town. The former Southport Theatre & Convention Centre closed in 2020 and a planning permission application for a new Marine Lake Events Centre was submitted at the end of June 2022. It has hosted the United Kingdom Independence Party national conference as well as the regional Labour Party conference. The Liberal Democrats held their federal Spring conference here in March 2018. Southport
3496-715: The 1980s and is now the site of part of the Ocean Plaza shopping development. A former landmark of Pleasureland was the Looping Star roller coaster, which was on site from 1985 to 1987. It featured in the video for the pop single Wonderful Life , by Liverpool band Black , which was also shot at other parts of the Sefton and North West coastline. On 24 April 2009 a serious fire occurred at the oldest attraction within New Pleasureland. Called The River Caves , it
3588-400: The 2002 local elections, including that of the leader of Sefton Council, Liberal Democrat Councillor, David Bamber. At the following election there were no gains and a drop in the number of votes for the party. At the all out election in 2004, one of their councillors stood down, whilst the other two lost their seats. To date, there have been no further moves to change Sefton's boundaries, but
3680-806: The Boundary Commission indicated in 2004 that a future review is possible. From 2014 the Borough of Sefton became one of the six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority . The closest cities are Preston 20 km (12 miles) to the north east and Liverpool 27 km (17 miles) to the south. Existing on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain , most of the town is only slightly above sea level and thus parts of Southport used to be susceptible to flooding . Marine Drive
3772-565: The Hesketh Golf Club, Hillside Golf Club and Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club . One of Southport's main attractions for many years was Pleasureland , a fairground established in 1912. It was owned by the Thompson Family , and was closed in September 2006. A replacement fairground on the same site, provisionally named New Pleasureland , opened in July 2007. An earlier permanent funfair, Peter Pan's Playground, closed in
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3864-828: The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and thus co-operate (but do not vote) in the Liverpool city region meetings. Since the abolition of Merseyside County Council , the councils have co-operated as permitted by the Local Government Act 1972 and required by the Local Government Act 1985 , for example the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority and the Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority . Liverpool City Region's proposal to central government for
3956-764: The Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway, and Blowick railway station (closed 1939) on the Manchester and Southport Railway . Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside , England. It lies on the West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea , approximately 17 miles (27 km) north of Liverpool and 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Preston . At
4048-473: The North of England. The United Kingdom Census 2001 showed a resident population for Southport of 90,336. Approximately 19,000 were aged 16 or under, 60,000 were aged 16–74, and 10,000 aged 75 and over. According to the 2001 census, 96% of Southport's population claim they have been born in the UK. The population of Southport began to rapidly increase during the Industrial Revolution and
4140-458: The Old Pool. There are historically two Blowicks: Higher Blowick, situated around what is now the junction of Everard Road and Southbank Road, and Lower Blowick (Butts Lane, Norwood Road, etc.), which is the area around what locals tend to refer to now as simply Blowick. The countryside on which the nearby Kew Housing Estate is built on what was known as Blowick Moss, and a local road on the estate
4232-778: The Open Championship at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club . The town gets its name from the South Port Hotel; built around 1797 (see #18th century ). There have been settlements in the area now comprising Southport since the Domesday Book , and some parts of the town have names of Viking origin. The earliest recorded human activity in the region was during the Middle Stone Age when mesolithic hunter-gatherers were attracted by
4324-596: The Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside, the police force for the city region. in 2016 the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 provided the provisions for Combined Authorities to establish elected "Mayors" to lead their respective regions combined authorities. the LCRCA decided on the creation of a Mayor for the City Region, replacing the need of a Chairperson who previously oversaw CA meetings. in 2017
4416-782: The Southport Conservative Party . Southport born Kevin Laroux Wood stood in the 1983 general election for the Southport Constituency. He was supported by a team of people who raised the funds needed and formed the "Southport Back in Lancashire Party". Posters were distributed and articles published in the Visiter newspaper. Although was not elected as MP, it put the issue firmly on the local agenda which continues to this day. In
4508-417: The UK's fastest growing economy outside London, one of the UK's top three biomedical centres, and has the UK's second largest wealth management industry. The region is largely monocentric with Liverpool as the dominant employment centre, however economic activity is widely spread across the six districts. Broadly speaking Liverpool is the commercial, cultural and transport hub of the region, with Sefton as
4600-405: The UK's largest and most ambitious development and infrastructure schemes which include the following: The Liverpool City Region has a transport network that is connected locally, nationally, and internationally by road, rail, sea and air. The region is served by a network of six motorways ( M58 to the north, M56 to the south, M6 & M62 to the east and M53 to the west). In addition,
4692-485: The Victorian era. From then the population has been stable with minor decline in some areas of the town. As a seaside town Southport has a history of leisure and recreation and is still dependent on tourism. The town went into decline when cheap air travel arrived in the 1960s and people chose to holiday abroad due to competitive prices and more reliable weather. However, the town kept afloat with people coming to spend
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#17327869403304784-548: The abundant red deer and elk populations, as well as the availability of fish, shellfish, and woodland. Roman coins have been found at Halsall Moss and Crossens, although the Romans never settled southwest Lancashire. The first objective evidence of an early settlement in the region is in the Domesday Book , in which the area is called Otergimele . The Domesday Book states that there were 50 huts in Otergimele, housing
4876-641: The back of the Dunes swimming pool which opened in June 2007. Meols Hall , a manor house, home of the Hesketh family, is open to the public for a limited period each year. Its history back to the Domesday Book. The British Lawnmower Museum is based in Shakespeare Street, a short distance outside the town centre. The Power Station, that was the base of the town's former radio station Dune FM , on
4968-525: The base of Seaforth Dock and tourist resort of Southport , Halton as the location for chemical, science, technology, logistics and distribution companies, and Knowsley, St Helens and Wirral providing key manufacturing and logistics for the area. The city of Liverpool itself has a compact travel to work area reflecting its position on the North West Atlantic Seaboard and compactness of the surrounding urban area. The city region
5060-443: The canal system. Other seaside bathing areas could not really get going until the railways were built some years later. The Leeds and Liverpool canal brought people from Liverpool, Manchester, Bolton and Wigan amongst others. By 1820 Southport had over 20,000 visitors per year. Southport Pier is referred to as the first true "pleasure pier", being one of the earliest pier structures to be erected using iron. A design from James Brunlees
5152-635: The council leaders of Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, the Mayor of Liverpool, a post replaced by Council Leader in 2023, and the chairperson, as the representative, of the local enterprise partnership. The proposed authority was known as the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority up until submission to the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Greater Merseyside Combined Authority in
5244-460: The creation of the constituency in the 1880s, with Labour politician Patrick Hurley succeeding Conservative incumbent Damien Moore . Prior to that, Liberal Democrat John Pugh was the MP for Southport, holding the seat for 16 years until his retirement in the 2017 General election . Southport, as part of the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton , one of the six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region. . It
5336-400: The day by the seaside on bank holidays and weekends. The town has diversified with annual events, shopping and conferences. In 2011, Southport was named the fourteenth-most popular coastal resort in the country, benefiting from a 23% rise in money spent in the resort in that year. Part of the resort's progress is a result of the money invested in Southport over recent years. While Southport has
5428-577: The edge of Victoria Park, which itself is home to the Southport Flower Show . See also Listed buildings in Southport Southport has many unique buildings and features, many of which are privately owned Victorian villas and houses and the town centre shops are of architectural interest. The most notable buildings, gardens and places of architectural interest are: Liverpool City Region The Liverpool City Region
5520-430: The end of October. The season has extended into weekend openings during November, February and March, weather permitting. An earlier model village, the Land of the Little People, was demolished in the late 1980s to make way for the aborted Winter Gardens /SIBEC shopping development. Its site is now occupied by a Morrison's supermarket. Other attractions in Southport include Splash World, an indoor water park situated on
5612-488: The establishment of new city region governance that surpassed existing administrative boundaries to more accurately reflect travel to work areas , catchment areas , housing market areas , and labour market areas . On 13 March 2007, local government minister Phil Woolas announced plans to create a cabinet government including the leaders of the following six councils: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. This decision triggered devolution for what
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#17327869403305704-479: The fate of the smallest tower remaining uncertain. The news has met with mixed reactions from local residents, though the gas holder was voted one of the North West 's biggest eyesores in a competition run by the BBC . The Thatch & Thistle is a modern thatched public house on Norwood Road built on the site of the original Blowick pub. Known for a time as The Thatch Inn, the pub closed on 21 August 2008 after Cains Brewery went into administration, but reopened
5796-401: The first Mayoral election took place in which Steve Rotheram was elected as the first Mayor. at the time the office was styled "Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region" to avoid confusion with the "Mayor of Liverpool" the then council leader of Liverpool City Council, which was abolished in 2023 and replaced by a Council Leader inline with other councils in the City Region. Presently the Office
5888-407: The following day under new management. Haig Avenue football stadium, the home of National League North team Southport F.C. , is also located in Blowick. The Southport Bus Depot is situated on Canning Road in Blowick and is a Victorian building with lavish architecture for a storage building and even has a clock built into the wall. The area has a secondary school Meols Cop High School and
5980-487: The funds to buy a new lifeboat for the town, stationed at the old RNLI lifeboat house. The lifeboat, operated by the Southport Offshore Rescue Trust , is completely independent from the RNLI and receives no money from them. It relies entirely on donations from the general public. On 21 March 1926, Henry Segrave set the land speed record in his 4-litre Sunbeam Tiger Ladybird on the sands at Southport at 152.33 mph (245.15 km/h). This record lasted for just over
6072-598: The local government districts of Liverpool , Halton , Knowsley , Sefton , St Helens and Wirral . Some definitions of the city region include a much wider area. The now revoked North West of England Regional Spatial Strategy defined the city region for "the purposes of articulating RSS policy" as covering the six local authorities and extending "as far as Chester , Ellesmere Port and Neston and West Lancashire ". A 2011 report, Liverpool City Region –– Building on its Strengths , by an independent working group led by Lord Heseltine and Terry Leahy , stated that "what
6164-575: The minimum 50,000 population (the 1911 census gave a figure of 51,643). The Birkdale Urban District, including the parishes of Birkdale and Ainsdale was added to Southport in 1912. The county borough had its headquarters at Southport Town Hall . Under the 1971 Local Government White Paper, presented in February 1971, Southport would have lost its county borough status, becoming a non-metropolitan district within Lancashire. Rather than accept this fate and lose its separate education and social services departments, Southport Corporation lobbied for inclusion in
6256-408: The name of the town. The locals thought him mad and referred to the building as the Duke's Folly , but Sutton arranged transport links from the canal that ran through Scarisbrick , four miles from the hotel, and trade was remarkably good. The hotel survived until 1854, when it was demolished to make way for traffic at the end of Lord Street, but its presence and the impact of its founder are marked by
6348-516: The nearby planned metropolitan county of Merseyside, to join with Bootle and other units to form a district with the 250,000 required population. It was duly included in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton . A recurring local political issue has been the cross-party movement campaigning for Southport to leave Sefton and form its own unitary authority , perhaps adjoined to the neighbouring West Lancashire authority. Support for this has been seen amongst Liberal Democrat councillors, and also within
6440-408: The published scheme. The consultation preceding the creation of the combined authority showed strong support for a name including 'Liverpool' rather than 'Merseyside', in order to capitalise and build upon Liverpool’s global ‘brand’. The name was changed to the Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined Authority in the draft order presented to parliament. On 21 February 2014 it
6532-408: The region had a population of 1,571,045. The Liverpool City Region is strongly established as an important driving force in the economy of Northern England and as a strategic sea and air gateway to the European Union . It connects to North America, Ireland, the Isle of Man , Europe and beyond; serving international, national and regional markets, investors and visitors. In 2008–2010, Liverpool had
6624-526: The region too such as New Brighton and the Wirral Way . Major bus companies are Stagecoach Merseyside and Arriva North West . Liverpool One bus station serves as a terminus for national coach travel. Liverpool Lime Street , the region's main terminal train station, is served by five train operating companies serving a wide variety of destinations, and is used by 11.8 million passengers per year. Improved rail connectivity, including upgrades to
6716-533: The region will benefit from Britain's new high-speed rail network , due for completion by 2032, even though the new line will not extend into the region. Journey times to London from Liverpool would be cut by 32 minutes under the proposals. Pressure has been put on the government to extend high speed rail into Liverpool's city centre. Liverpool Cruise Terminal provides long-distance passenger cruises, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines MS Black Watch and Cruise & Maritime Voyages MS Magellan using
6808-623: The region, whilst Peel Ports have also planned a second cruise terminal as part of the Liverpool Waters project. Global air connectivity to and from the region is provided by two international airports: Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) is one of the oldest operational airports in the United Kingdom. Manchester Airport is situated 29 miles from Liverpool city centre . Liverpool John Lennon Airport, situated 6.5 miles (10.5 km) south east of Liverpool city centre
6900-467: The rest of western UK. The coast-to-coast Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) stretches the breadth of northern England – 215 miles (346 km) from Southport in the west to Hornsea in the east. The TPT is a route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders linking the North and Irish seas and passing through the Pennines. It runs alongside rivers and canals and through some of the most historic towns and cities in
6992-404: The same blueprint with more devolved powers to deliver jobs, training, welfare support and economic resilience." A new crest and flag to represent the city region is to be revealed by late 2024, following the announcement that Merseytravel , the city region's transport authority, would be renamed Transport for Liverpool City Region . The combined authority of Liverpool City Region includes
7084-540: The same period in 1980, a Private Member's Bill proposed restoring Southport to Lancashire, and renaming the residue of Sefton to the Metropolitan Borough of Bootle. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England conducted a review of the area in 1987, which attracted 10,000 messages, of which "70% were pro forma ". In 1990, the LGBC made suggestions that Southport, Ainsdale and Birkdale should be made
7176-409: The seaside just four miles (6 km) away from the newly constructed Leeds and Liverpool Canal and two miles southwest of Churchtown. When a widow from Wigan built a cottage nearby in 1797 for seasonal lodgers, Sutton quickly built a new inn on the site of the bathing house which he called the South Port Hotel, moving to live there the following season. There was no port, but "Southport" soon became
7268-602: The seaside to bathe in the salt sea waters. At that time, doctors recommended bathing in the sea to help cure aches and pains. In 1792, William Sutton, the landlord of the Black Bull Inn in Churchtown (now the Hesketh Arms ) and known to locals as "The Old Duke", realised the importance of the newly created canal systems across the UK and set up a bathing house in the virtually uninhabited dunes at South Hawes by
7360-605: The south of the town. The Ainsdale dunes have been designated as a national nature reserve and a Ramsar site. Local fauna include the natterjack toad and the sand lizard . Southport hosts events, including an annual air show on and over the beach, the largest independent flower show in the UK in Victoria Park , and the British Musical Fireworks Championship. The town is at the centre of England's "Golf Coast", and has hosted
7452-601: The status quo be kept. The commission suggested the use of area committees for the various parts of the borough and also that Southport could become a civil parish . Another request made in 2004 was turned down, the Electoral Commission must request such a review. In 2002, a local independent party calling themselves the Southport Party was established, with many members supporting a policy of "Southport out of Sefton." Three council seats were won in
7544-470: The terminal to depart to Iceland , France , Spain and Norway . Leeds and Liverpool Canal and Manchester Ship Canal are the main canal systems. Prince's Landing Stage, Pier Head , Liverpool serves Isle of Man Steam Packet Company summer service to the Isle of Man (and Mersey Ferries). Twelve Quays , Birkenhead ferry port serves winter Isle of Man ferry service and Stena Line to Belfast , Northern Ireland . The Mersey Ferry has operated since
7636-520: The town. In 1914, a very short romance story between a "2 park road Southport" private soldier and French lady took place in Valenciennes in north France during early First World War as described by Andrée Ducatez's Journal . In 1925, the RNLI abandoned the station at Southport and left the town with no lifeboat. In the late 1980s, after a series of tragedies, local families from Southport raised
7728-543: The vessel. The crews battled against storm-force winds as they rowed towards the casualty. The entire crew from the St. Anne's boat was lost and all but two of the Southport crew were too. In all, 28 lifeboatmen lost their lives on that night, leaving many widows and fatherless children. A memorial was erected in Duke Street Cemetery and there is a permanent display in the museum at The Atkinson on Lord Street. There
7820-551: Was approved at a cost of £8,700 and on 4 August 1859 a large crowd witnessed the driving home of the first support pile. The opening of the pier was celebrated on 2 August 1860. On the night of 9 December 1886, the worst lifeboat disaster in the history of the UK occurred off the shores of Southport. A cargo ship called the Mexico was on its way to South America when it found itself in difficulty. Lifeboats from Lytham , St. Annes and Southport set off to try to rescue those aboard
7912-685: Was completely destroyed in this arson attack, and a 16-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the fire. Southport Model Railway Village is situated in Kings Gardens opposite the Royal Clifton Hotel and near the Marine Lake Bridge. The Model Railway Village opened in May 1996 and was created by Ray and Jean Jones. The Jones family still run the attraction today. The Model Railway Village season extends from April to
8004-496: Was decided by the constituent councils that the authority will use the public name of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) is the main governing body for the Liverpool City Region, providing governance of the City Region using powers devolved from Central Government, the current Composition of the Combined Authority is: Constituent Members (Voting): As well as these members there are non voting non constituent members, such as
8096-514: Was regularly closed due to flooding from high tides , but in February 1997, new sea defences started being constructed and in 2002 the whole project was completed. Southport has a maritime climate like most of the UK. Due to its position by the coast, Southport rarely sees substantial snowfall and temperatures rarely fall below −5 °C (23 °F) so it does not have frequent frosts . Southport generally has moderate precipitation, unlike
8188-480: Was sparsely populated and dominated by dunes. The area became popular with tourists due to the easy access from the nearby Leeds and Liverpool Canal , and by 1848 had a railway connection. The resort increased during the Victorian era and contains examples of Victorian architecture and town planning . Lord Street was developed as a wide, tree-lined shopping street, and attractions such as Southport Pier , which
8280-694: Was supported by the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), established in 2010 as the private sector-led board comprising political and business leaders from around the city region. The LEP's functions were merged into the combined authority in 2023. In 2004, the Government of the United Kingdom launched an initiative to strengthen the economy and quality of life in Northern England . Yorkshire Forward , One NorthEast , and
8372-670: Was termed the 'Liverpool City Region'. In January 2009, an agreement was made that the six local authorities would form the Liverpool City Region, in a Multi-Area Agreement (MAA). The agreement led to a transfer, from central government, greater responsibilities in more than ten areas covering employment, skills, transport, regeneration, housing and planning. Hazel Blears , the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said: "Today's 'Liverpool city-region' Multi-Area Agreement will mean Merseyside's six councils will no longer have to work alone on their economy, they will work from
8464-590: Was the local enterprise partnership (LEP) for Liverpool City Region. The LEP initiated Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone , which was set up in 2012. The enterprise zone contains two sites, Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters . in April 2023 the LEP announced that it would be integrated as a department of the Combined Authority as the Business and Enterprise Board of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. In 2022
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