A small group of Conservative supporters who want Lord Street to remain red gathered to get their message across to passing motorists today.

Work is due begin, Monday 18th September, on the controversial resurfacing of Lord Street.


Sefton Council plans to use a money-saving cheaper option to resurface the road in black. This decision coming after Sefton Council announced £32 million is to be spent purchasing Bootle Strand Shopping Center. Once again Southport is pushed aside as favour is paid to the Labour heartlands of Sefton.

Clearly decisions have been made to prioritise anywhere else but Southport. If Southport Lord Street is resurfaced in black, this risks the loss of its heritage status and the right to apply for any restoration grants from the lottery heritage fund.

Hence, a cheaper option now risks not only the status of Lord Street but the possibility of future funding for other projects such as the restoration and upkeep of its boulevards, walkways and veranda’s.


This short-term cost-saving is going to cost us more in the long run. The Council may complain about lack of funds but it is about making the right choices, spend £32 million on a venture which is deemed unprofitable by developers and investors, or maintain conservation areas and heritage sites.


This outrageous decision which compromises the identity of Lord Street and Southport. Due to the neglect from Sefton Council Southport has already lost out on its place as a top 40 UK seaside destination.

Do they come out to demonstrate about NHS cuts, public sector pay cap, police cuts, council cuts, tuition fee rises or class numbers rising? No, these clowns are out worrying about the pigmentation of wearing course.

Sefton Council were going to establish a heritage centre in Bootle a few years ago, to sort of make up for the museum and art gallery they closed in 1974. Instead, after paying £25k for a report, they decided to do up the Atkinson at a cost to the Sefton taxpayer of 12 million pounds. Is this favouring labour heartlands within Sefton ?

As for the Strand it is not losing money. This I know. Please can we have facts over fiction !

Originally Posted by mike1979

As for the Strand it is not losing money. This I know. Please can we have facts over fiction !

Evidence please. If it is a profitable venture, and set to remain so as malls and high streets continue to fail, why did no commercial firm want to snap it up? The Council has bought a likely dud and, in any case, shouldn't be running commercial shopping centres where it has no expertise and exposes the taxpayer to unnecessary risk for no public benefit.

Votes Tory, Tory party cuts Seftons budget by almost 50% during time in power, moans council can't afford red tarmac.

Monday: Gridlock in Southport as Lord Street is closed for resurfacing and the 90,000 pensioners are trying to collect their pensions.

Originally Posted by dav

Evidence please. If it is a profitable venture, and set to remain so as malls and high streets continue to fail, why did no commercial firm want to snap it up? The Council has bought a likely dud and, in any case, shouldn't be running commercial shopping centres where it has no expertise and exposes the taxpayer to unnecessary risk for no public benefit.

Actually they paid 2 million more than the last owners so why would the previous owners refuse.
The council own it, they aren't running it. The expertise is there from the previous owners who are managing it still.

Originally Posted by mike1979

Actually they paid 2 million more than the last owners so why would the previous owners refuse.

So they overpaid, too? What business acumen! Just wait for the planted "unforseen downturn on the high street" stories in a couple of years time to justify the Council's huge losses on this project.

Massive turn out I see, clearly the colour of Lord St's tarmac is of major importance, (not) incidentally what is this ref; to heritage BS, the red tarmac was only originally laid in the 1950s hardly of major historical significance.

I take it they'll all be there first thing Monday morning to blockade the road to prevent the actual work taking place. Waving a placard 2 days before the approved work is due to start is as pathetic as it looks.
Perhaps young Mr Shandley there ought to be telling his father where Haig Avenue is on a Saturday.

Turn Southort red. Vote Labour.

A small group of Conservative supporters

Hopefully an ever decreasing dying breed.

Originally Posted by roving-eye

If Southport Lord Street is resurfaced in black, this risks the loss of its heritage status and the right to apply for any restoration grants from the lottery heritage fund.

No it doesn't

Hence, a cheaper option now risks not only the status of Lord Street but the possibility of future funding for other projects such as the restoration and upkeep of its boulevards, walkways and veranda’s.

No it doesn't.

Southport has already lost out on its place as a top 40 UK seaside destination.

Only according to a poncy magazine article.

If this truly was one of the biggest issues in southport and our paid electives were working for us, it probably would've been better if they'd worked together on this protest.....feels like most of these things are an advert for their parties rather than demonstrating we are getting our money's worth and representation. We've had statements/articles from Dawson, Barton, Lib Dems, Conservative MP and Conservative party but no unified view, big shame of this is our biggest "fight" rather than photo-op

Are any of those pictured actually Conservative councillors?
I only ask because Lord Street is in Dukes Ward and the only ward councillor that hasn't been suspended by their party has a business a stones throw from Lord Street. She hasn't been to a single council meeting for the last 16 months, just wondered if she could be bothered to attend this "protest".

You'd have thought the photographer would have ensured that the protesters were stood on a section of Lord Street where the street actually was exhibiting red.
The 3 photographs are taken were the surface is more grey than red as a result of having the anti-skid surface applied, hardly endorses their protests, does it ?

Don't worry Conservatives soon all of Southport will be red!

Originally Posted by Polly Trott

Don't worry Conservatives soon all of Southport will be red!

Doesn`t really matter one iota whatever colour it is done in; however one would have thought that these conservatives would be demanding for it to be blue.

Strange as well that a Certain Discredited Individual was absent from this marvellous photo opportunity.