Southport Civic Society querying consultation process by Sefton Council
Sefton Council plans to replace the badly worn red surface on the famous Lord Street - saying it has become “potentially dangerous” - with black tarmac in a bid to save money. The historic boulevard is famous for its quirky red asphalt, a feature on thousands of postcards across many generations, and a key characteristic of its Conservation Area.
Southport Civic Society is among those urging the council to reconsider its decision. They said: "Lord Street is a nationally recognised Conservation Area, on a par with Princes Street, Edinburgh and proper consultation must take place on this issue, which will so visibly transform the Conservation Area.
The simple fact is black tarmac will lessen the distinctiveness of Lord Street and therefore harm and cause detriment to this Conservation Area. We accept the Council have extreme budget pressures, but we have not seen the cost differential between black and red tarmac and there could be other ways to raise additional funds, for example via the BID or crowd-funding.
As a minimum our voice should be heard. This is about taking care of our built environment, taking extra care of our Conservation Areas and accepting that special areas deserve special thought and attention."
To support civic societies in matters like this on the public ream, we would recommend our publication "Street Design for All". The booklet has been designed to be read by Civic Voice members. No specialist knowledge is required and it is intended to empower people to make real changes by engaging with decision makers. This is best done by having a long term strategy which is carried out through regular, modest incremental improvements.
Download Street Design for All via http://www.civicvoice.org.uk/resources/street-design-for-all-report/