Sefton Council: Green light for Southport’s £1.5m digital hub at historic Crown Buildings

Sefton Council has granted planning permission to turn a historic town centre building into a huge start-up hub.

Southport’s Crown Buildings will be transformed into Enterprise Arcade, a £1.5m purpose designed workspace for creative and digital start-up businesses.

Forming part of the Southport Town Deal, the regeneration and transformation of Crown Buildings aims to support individuals, freelancers, enterprises, and independent professionals who are taking their first steps into setting up and growing their own business.

Sefton Council has chosen Liverpool based Baltic Creative Community Interest Company (CIC) as the preferred operator of the new hub.

Designed by K2 Architects, the building will have a 1,500 sq ft food and drink outlet, three new shopfronts, and office and coworking spaces.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: “This is a key project for the regeneration and economic diversification of Southport’s economy.

“The Enterprise Arcade will incorporate Crown Buildings and vacant retail units on the ground floor of Eastbank Street. The new repurposed workspace will join Southport’s regenerated and already successful Market in demonstrating how new life can be brought back to these fantastic buildings, encouraging more investment and helping secure a positive future for the town.

“Our Enterprise Arcade will be the ideal location for a whole host of start-up and growing businesses and individuals, whether they be in the early incubator stages of developing their brand or simply in need of flexibility and an agile approach to their working practices.

“Furthermore, the space will be able to collaborate and integrate with the already exceptional cultural and educational services provided at The Atkinson, promoting and supporting the development of a focused creative and digital sector in the heart of Southport town centre.”