After years of campaigning, the people of Southport were delighted to see funding secured to restore its iconic pier, and it was the one aspect of 2025, which really came to define the year for the seaside town.

However, it was not the only significant update of the year, as millions of pounds are expected to be poured in Southport in 2026, whilst progress on other high profile projects and events are all expected in the next 12 months.

Over the last year, funding proposals have been set forth on several regeneration projects, and ground has been broken on the redevelopment of Market Street which is now completely transformed.

Plans have also progressed on a £10m communal garden in Southport town centre, which is being led by the families of Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice Da Silva Aguiar, and Bebe King, whose shared love of dance, music and the arts has inspired a vision for a new town square that will be an inclusive community events space.

Additionally, in a much-anticipated boost to Southport’s leisure and tourism economy, the LDRS reported in September that £20m had been secured for the restoration of the pier. An announcement was made by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves as she visited the seaside town during the Labour Conference.

The Grade II listed pier, which is the oldest iron pier in the country, was closed by Sefton Council in 2022 on the advice of structural engineers after a period of extreme weather. The closure of the pier has had a significant impact on the town’s leisure and tourism offer, with many residents and local business owners keen to see the pier re-opened.

However, due to the financial costs of the refurbishment, any possible re-opening had been in limbo. August also saw a fire dramatically take hold of the historic structure, believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

The fire came just two months after the Chancellor said money would be issued to help with the restoration, although a figure or timeframe was not disclosed. Ms Reeves later confirmed as much as £20m will be made available to restore Southport pier, once the business case is approved, with HM Treasury explaining the project is already at an advanced stage.

However, there have also been some stumbling blocks in Southport’s regeneration plans, including a row between elected officials within Sefton Council over the Marine Lake Event Centre (MLEC) scheme, after questions were asked about the lack of progress and the use of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.

Described as a ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity, MLEC is one of the most ambitious projects in the region, but there is mounting concern about its delivery. MLEC was approved after a successful bid for £37.5m of Town Deal funding and has also benefited from an additional £17.7m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

The site clearance is already well underway and it was expected that construction works would start at the end of this year. The LDRS confirmed in a previous report that this is no longer the case. At the time of writing, there is still no confirmed schedule on when the project will be completed. However, the council confirmed a significant update would be announced shortly.

Reflecting on the last year, Sefton Council Leader Marion Atkinson said: “The Government has shown confidence in Sefton by giving us funding for major projects. These include the restoration of Southport Pier, improvements to Town Hall Gardens and the new the Marine Lake Events Centre.”

Cllr Atkinson continued: “Looking ahead to 2026, there’s even more to be excited about. Southport will be hosting a world class cultural events programme that kicks off in February and continues until October.

“And the world-famous Open Golf Championship will return to Royal Birkdale, bringing visitors from around the globe. Work will continue on the major regeneration projects in Southport and Bootle, and new public spaces.”

The 154th Open Championship will be played at Royal Birkdale in 2026. The iconic Southport links have previously hosted golf’s original championship on 10 occasions, the last of which was in 2017 when Jordan Spieth emerged victorious in a memorable final-round duel with Matt Kuchar to lift the Claret Jug for the first time.

The event is expected to draw thousands of visitors, from all over the world, and will serve as a timely economic boost for Southport and the surrounding areas.

In an address published via Sefton Council’s website, Cllr Atkinson added a personal message: “We want to thank all the amazing individuals and groups who have given their time to work with us on a vast range of schemes.

“And a big thank you once again to everyone who had donated so generously once again to the Mayor’s Toy Fund to provide gifts for children and young people across Sefton. Here’s to an exciting 2026 which sees us continuing to make Sefton a great place to live, work, do business and visit.”