A call has been made for Sefton Council to extend the consultation on the new plans for the Town Hall Gardens in Southport or at least allow late submissions.
The consultation period finishes today (Monday 5th October 2026).
Sefton Council says ‘this has been the second stage of a detailed two-phase consultation process, which has created significant engagement opportunities for children, families, residents and businesses’.
People will get more chances to comment when the planning application is submitted.
The regeneration of the gardens is the shared hope of the families of Alice Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Stancombe as their way of saying ‘thank you’ to the town who support those directly impacted throughout an unimaginably difficult time.
Their dream is to create a vibrant botanical garden and performance space.
They would love to hear feedback from other local people on what you would like to see.
You can view the designs and complete the consultation via www.yourseftonyoursay.sefton.gov.uk
The £10 million regeneration project for the site was announced after the gardens became a key focal point for the community since the tragic events of July 2024.
It will be funded by Central Government (£5 million), the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (£2.5 million) and Sefton Council (£2.5 million).
Southport councillor and Sefton Liberal Democrat Leader John Pugh would like more time for people to be able to share their thoughts.
He said: “We can’t treat this as just another planning application.
“The Council have quite correctly embraced the principle of co-design with the community, but without a local newspaper these days it can take a few weeks before people realise what is happening.
“The Council’s display in The Atkinson is excellent but not everybody goes there or looks at the Council’s website.
“There is clear evidence that consultation helps the Council.
“Consultation on the first design, though it drew a very limited response, showed that the issue of most concern to the public was the loss of the fountain. That has been corrected in the new designs which seem largely to have received a favourable reaction and are seen as imaginative.
“However, there are big choices being made on the removal of buildings and balustrades that follow from the desire for a more open space and people pro and con who may wish to comment may easily miss the tight deadline set.
“It is always the case though that users of public spaces and buildings may spot issues that elude even the most attentive of architects.
“At the end of the day individual judgement comes into this and you can’t cater for every angle, but people want to put their view and are entitled to do so.
“I believe lengthening this important consultation would be a welcome and good thing to do.”
A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “This has been the second stage of a detailed two-phase consultation process, which has created significant engagement opportunities for children, families, residents and businesses.
“Any feedback submitted outside of the consultation windows has also been taken on board. This has been ongoing since the funding was first announced in June 2025.
“This second stage, which ran for a timescale consistent with any planning-related public consultation, is completely based on the feedback from the general public both during the first stage of the consultation and in the subsequent months following the project’s announcement.
“Another opportunity to provide feedback will be available when the proposals are taken to a planning application stage.
“Both stages of this consultation were widely publicised in local, regional and national media, via the Council’s social media, resident newsletters and all Councillors were encouraged to share it with people within their wards.”
“The second stage was also publicised in detail on the Council’s new podcast, which is designed to reach residents who do not use social media.
“We fully agree that people are rightly entitled to give their views and that is exactly what we have provided via this already extensive consultation process.
“This process and timeline enables a submission of a planning application in October, and keeps the project on track for a start on site in Spring 2027.
“This is important in terms of the management of risks relating to construction cost inflation, and most importantly enables work to continue at pace to fulfil the ambitions of the families for this space as a way of saying ‘Thank You’ to the community of Southport.”
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