Southport council news
Southport council news, newest first: decisions, budgets, council tax, bins and services, each linked to the council's own papers.
Top story
Sefton Private Hire Cars: 5,724, Four Times England's Rate
Sefton licenses 20 private hire cars per 1,000 people, four times the England rate, while hackney cabs fell to 193. Councillors noted the report on 20 October.
More stories
Ainsdale
Sandbrook Road Playing Fields Lease Opens £250k Bid
Sefton approved a 25-year lease of Sandbrook Road Playing Fields to Hightown Junior Football League, opening a bid for up to £250,000 for new changing rooms.
Southport
Southport Aviary Pause Rejected 35-27: How Each Ward Voted
Full Council voted 35 to 27 against pausing the Botanic Gardens aviary closure. All 20 Southport councillors present backed a pause; Formby's six voted against.
Sefton
Sefton Planning Committee: Petition Route Ends 31 October
From 31 October a petition will no longer send a Sefton planning application to committee, and councillors lose call-in. Here is what replaces it and who decides.
Southport
Southport Cove Resort Site Opened to New Bidders: Approved
Sefton Cabinet approved a partner search for the Esplanade park and ride land on 1 October. A sale would likely move the Eco Centre; Cove Resort stays in the running.
Southport
Southport Aviary: Scrutiny Bid Lost 5-3, No Birds Rehomed
Councillors voted 5 to 3 against a report on how the aviary closure was decided. No bird has been rehomed yet, and donors can now ask for theirs back.
Council
Sefton Cabinet Approves Hiring Freeze on £7.7m Overspend
Sefton Cabinet approved a hiring freeze against a £7.689m overspend on 1 October, plus the Esplanade partner search and a garden waste deal.
Southport
Queens Road Southport: Council Admits Drivers Ignore Ban
Sefton Council says early camera data shows drivers ignoring the Queens Road restriction, and it has no approval for camera enforcement at that junction.
Southport
Southport Aviary Closure Faces Scrutiny on 15 September
Sefton councillors review the Botanic Gardens aviary closure on 15 September, and one of the four welfare groups backing the closure has withdrawn support.
Southport
Maureen Fearn, Southport Councillor for 33 Years, Has Died
Flags fly at half mast for Maureen Fearn, Kew ward councillor from 1983 to 2016 and Mayor of Sefton three times. Council and Lib Dem leaders pay tribute.
Southport
Southport aviary closure saves £60,000, budget book shows
Sefton's own budget puts the saving at nil this year and £60,000 in 2027/28, against £80,750 to run the aviary. PETA backed the closure on Thursday.