Southport Townscape Heritage Initiative - Southport Regeneration Scheme

Project Overview

What is the Townscape Heritage Initiative?

The Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) is a grant-giving programme for the repair and regeneration of the historic environment in towns and cities throughout the United Kingdom. The historic environment is defined as those areas designated as Conservation Areas. This programme has been set up by the Heritage Lottery Fund and is supported with funding from the National Lottery.

The main aim of THI is to make possible the continued viable use of the buildings that make up the special architectural character of historic urban areas. THI gives the highest priority to the repair of historic buildings, and to bringing derelict and under-used historic buildings back into use.

The THI aims to contribute to the sustainability of local economies and to support the communities that lives and works in each project area. It does this in several ways, for example by bringing vacant floor space in historic buildings back into use, whether for public, commercial or residential functions, or by making a historic area more attractive as a location for businesses or as a tourist destination.

THI schemes should always be aimed at the regeneration of the whole of each target area, rather than focusing on isolated elements within it. THI schemes should complement a wider strategy for economic regeneration of the surrounding area.

THI programmes run for five years, with the ‘Common Fund’ allocated to projects within the first three years allowing a further two years for projects to be completed and grant claims settled.

Southport Town Centre THI

THI Target Area

The Southport Town Centre THI scheme will focus on the area between Lord Street and the Promenade which is covered by the Lord Street and Promenade Conservation Area designations.

THI Strategy

The key aims of the THI strategy for Southport are to:

• Increase the levels of economic activity within the target area to reduce the number of vacant, underused and poorly maintained properties;
• Enhance the quality and strength of the linkages between the town centre and the seafront; and
• Promote and sustain community interest and involvement in the long-term management of the area.

This will be achieved through a combination of repairs, conversion and reinstatement of historic features to properties together with a programme of enhancement works to the public realm. The overall aim is to create a self-sustaining, economically vibrant area that has a mix of uses set within a high quality environment.

Links to Wider Regeneration Initiatives

The THI scheme is a key project within the Southport Action Plan. This is an integrated programme developed to deliver a range of physical, economic and social benefits to the town to maintain and enhance its position as a major tourist destination. The Action Plan will be supported by £8.2 million of European Union Objective 1 funding. This will be used to attract further public and private investment including funding from the North West Development Agency. It is estimated that the Action Plan will have a total value of approximately £54 million.

Heritage and Economic Need for the THI Scheme

The area of Southport town centre that the THI is targeted on has suffered due to the decline of Southport as a traditional seaside resort. As described above, Southport developed as a high quality resort for the Victorians with hotels, large family houses and commercial properties constructed to meet the needs of a growing tourist market. The subsequent decline of Southport as a resort has led to the problem of finding new uses for these properties. This has proved particularly difficult in areas that have become economically marginal. The result of this is that properties are falling into disrepair, having suffered from insensitive alterations and adaptation or are vacant or partially vacant. This in turn has a negative impact on the character and appearance of the area and the main links between the retail centre and the major leisure attractions.

Where new uses have been found for properties these are often seasonal or low-income uses that are unable to generate sufficient funding to undertake an increasing backlog of repairs.

Buildings & Properties

Grants will be available for properties in the THI area that make a positive contribution to its character and appearance. A schedule of properties eligible for grant assistance has been produced. These target properties are identified on the THI Map. Grants will be offered to the owners of target properties and also owners of properties within the THI area to assist with:

• Structural and external repair of historic buildings which are in use;
• Reinstatement of authentic architectural features;
• Repair and conversion to bring vacant floor space in historic buildings back into use.

The proposed grant rate will be 40% of the cost of eligible works although the grant rate may be increased for reinstatement works that add limited financial value to the property. For example the reinstatement of boundary walls or chimney stacks

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