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News Report Page 10 of 16
 Publication Date:- 2026-03-30
 
News reports located on this page = 2.

Conservatives Called for Maintenance Plan and Budget for Southport Pier

THE news that funding for the repair of Southport Pier had been approved by central Government was welcomed by Conservatives on Sefton Council. Now, attention had to be turned to ensuring there was an adequate maintenance budget in place for Southport Pier, said Conservative Group Leader on Sefton Council, Mike Prendergast.

Commenting, Councillor Prendergast said:- "It's certainly welcome news, with incredible timing just before the Council enters purdah before the local elections, that central Government have finally confirmed that the funding to repair and re-open our Pier has been approved. It's a testament to the hard work of many local people right across the political spectrum that this issue has been kept at the forefront of the local and national agenda. The sooner work can commence, the better. Due to the amount of time taken, it's going to mean another summer of the Pier being closed but the announcement is certainly progress. Even by Sefton Council's own figures, the closure of Southport Pier has resulted in around £50 million of lost revenue to our Town so far, with that figure likely to rise to well over £60 million by the time it re-opens. We also need to remember how the closure impacted individual businesses, such as:- the local family who operated the cafe at the end of the Pier, investing huge sums of their own money in a business that had to close through no fault of their own. So it's now absolutely vital that Sefton Council ensures the work is carried out properly this time and also ensure there is a proper maintenance budget in place. For those local people and political parties who attended last year's public meeting about the Pier, we all heard that the budget for maintenance will likely be between:- £400,000 to £500,000 per year. What we absolutely don't want to see happen again, is for millions of pounds of taxpayers money to be spent on restoring the Pier, only for it to be neglected and fall into disrepair again. It was the Chancellor herself who said that the Pier had been allowed to fall into disrepair."

Conservatives on Sefton Council previously put forward measures at Sefton Council that would have made a start on creating an annual maintenance budget by cutting long term vacant roles, 12 months or more, and scrapping some diversity and equality roles, finding around £172,000 every year for the maintenance budget needed. These were rejected by Labour, and a number of Liberal Democrat Councillors in Cambridge Ward, Meols Ward and Ainsdale abstained, with the Lib Dem leadership divided on the proposals.

Councillor Prendergast continued:- "The Pier fell into disrepair because it wasn't maintained properly. We can't let that happen again and whilst it is great news to hear the funding confirmed, this doesn't take away from the fact that we need a plan to maintain it in future. Southport's tourism economy can't afford another multi-million pound hit in the current climate."

Local Elections 2026: Sefton Prepares for Significant Council Reshuffle

RESIDENTS across Sefton are being urged to prepare for the upcoming local elections on:- 7 May 2026, which will see a:- "Whole Council" vote. Unlike staggered elections, all 66 seats on the Sefton Council are up for grabs, marking a pivotal moment for the borough's political landscape.

Boundary Changes and New Ward Names...

Local Authorities have confirmed that a recent review of electoral boundaries has resulted in several changes. Residents may find their traditional polling stations have moved or that their specific ward names have been updated.

Officials are advising voters to pay close attention to the colour of the poll cards arriving at their doorsteps:-

  • White Card - Registered to vote in person at a designated station.

  • Pink Card - Registered for a postal vote.

  • Lilac Card - Indicates no one at the property is currently registered.

Key Deadlines for Voters...

To participate in the May elections, residents must ensure they are registered by:- 20 April 2026. For those preferring to vote from home, the deadline to apply for a postal vote is:- 17:00 on:- 21 April 2026.

The 3 Vote Rule and ID Requirements...

In a notable reminder of the voting process, each registered voter can select up to:- 3 candidates to elect:- 3 Councillors for their specific electoral ward.

Furthermore, voters are reminded of the mandatory photographic ID requirement. To receive a ballot paper at a polling station, a valid form of photo identification must be presented. A full list of accepted IDs can be found on the reverse of the white poll cards or via the Sefton Council website. 

Contact Information for Voters:-

Major Ward Name Changes...

Several wards have been renamed to more accurately describe the areas they cover:-
  • Molyneux has become Aintree and Maghull South.
  • Park has become Lydiate and Maghull West.
  • Ravenmeols has become Formby East.
  • Harington has become Formby West.
  • Sudell has become Maghull East.
       
  • Manor has become Thornton and Hightown.
  • Linacre and Derby areas have been reconfigured into Bootle East and Bootle West.
  • Church and Victoria areas have been reconfigured into Great Crosby and Waterloo.

The Full List of 22 Wards (Effective May 2026)

Every ward listed below will elect 3 Councillors on:- 7 May 2026:

  • Ainsdale.
       

  • Aintree & Maghull South.

  • Birkdale.

  • Blundellsands.

  • Bootle East.

  • Bootle West.

  • Cambridge.

  • Duke's.

  • Ford.

  • Formby East.

  • Formby West.

  • Great Crosby.

  • Kew.

  • Litherland.

  • Lydiate & Maghull West.
       

  • Maghull East.

  • Meols.

  • Netherton North.

  • Netherton South & Orrell.

  • Norwood.

  • Thornton & Hightown.

  • Waterloo.

Summary of Boundary Changes...

  • Southport - Boundaries remain largely unchanged with only minor modifications to ensure:- "electoral equality" (meaning each councillor represents a similar number of people).

  • Crosby, Formby and Maghull - These areas saw the most significant name changes and moderate boundary adjustments to align with physical landmarks and community ties.

  • Bootle and Litherland - Extensive re-drawing of boundaries took place here to simplify the ward map and account for population shifts.

What are your thoughts on this news topic? Email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:- Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter. Please do let us know as we love to hear your views....

 
      
 
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