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Sefton is one of the five Metropolitan Borough Councils comprising the Merseyside conurbation. With a population of 290,000, it is one of the largest and most varied Metropolitan Authorities in the country. Adjoining the inner suburbs of Liverpool in the south, it also embraces a number of distinctive urban communities each with its own character, problems and opportunities. The extensive Irish Sea coastline and Mersey Estuary are designated for their national and international nature conservation importance. The rural hinterland comprises high quality agricultural land and a handful of small villages - all within the Merseyside Green Belt. The Borough also lies within the designated Mersey Forest area. Together with the other Merseyside authorities, Sefton has been designated by the European Union as an Objective 1 Area since 1993. The current programme runs until 2006 and will draw in major Structural Fund support for regeneration. The planning framework for this complex area is provided by the Sefton Unitary Development Plan adopted in May 1995. A replacement plan was placed on first Deposit in July 2001 and a Public Local Inquiry to hear objections is anticipated in the Autumn of 2003. Bootle and Litherland form the older urban core of Sefton, adjacent to the northern Liverpool boundary. Major town centre redevelopment in the 1960s focussed on Bootle Strand Shopping Centre and the adjacent Stanley Office Precinct, complemented by the establishment of the Girobank Headquarters in Netherton. The area includes extensive operational port facilities including the modern Seaforth container terminal and the Liverpool Freeport. The Port of Liverpool is expanding rapidly and a number of major investments have recently been attracted to the area. This success also has a significant environmental impact on nearby residential communities through noise, dust and lorry movements. Mitigation of this impact is an important part of emerging development plan policies and regeneration initiatives. Rejuvenation of existing industrial commercial/shopping and housing areas continues to be a priority, building on past successes. Past projects include Bootle Maritime City Challenge, and the 'Euro-gateway' Regional Challenge initiative to aid regeneration of the corridor between the M57/58 junction at 'Switch Island' and the Docks. Recent investment includes major refurbishment of rail and bus stations and a major extension to the Strand Shopping Centre. The current, second Objective 1 Programme focuses especially on the most socially deprived "Pathways" areas and the Atlantic Gateway Strategic Investment Area. The Council has recently been successful in its SRB6 bid for South Sefton, which will complement the Objective 1 Programme. Netherton was developed as a large post war overspill estate for Liverpool. It shares the problems of many similar estates - poor environment, high unemployment and limited service provision. It has been the focus of a number of recent funding initiatives - notably the Netherton Partnership initiative, which received SRB3 and European URBAN funding - which have resulted in a marked improvement in the area. However Netherton also contains significant employment areas and is the focus of intense economic regeneration activity as part of the Atlantic Gateway Strategic Investment Area. Adjacent to Netherton lies Aintree, home of the renowned Grand National Race Course. It has also been the location for recent large leisure and 'retail warehouse' developments. Crosby and Waterloo mark the edge of the older built up area of the 'Greater Liverpool' conurbation. These popular residential districts have a mixture of large Regency, Victorian and Edwardian housing and more recent semi-detached development. Conversion and redevelopment for flats is a common feature of the area. The coast remains a strong element in this part of the Borough, but the Marine Park and coastal zone are now in need of improvement and modernisation. To this end, a bid is being put together to secure funding for the 'Crosby Coastal Park' as part of a sub-regional Mersey Waterfront Regional Park These communities straddle the main commuter route running north from Liverpool and traffic congestion is a major problem, particularly during rush hour. Major investment in public transport, traffic management and environmental improvement form a key part of the "Northern Corridor" strategy set out in the Merseyside Local Transport Plan. A recent major achievement has been the environmental enhancement and development of the Rimrose Valley Country Park - which forms a Green Belt wedge between Crosby/Waterloo and Bootle and Litherland. The settlements of Maghull and Lydiate are also important commuter areas. They have expanded considerably since the War with the development of large areas of semi-detached housing. Proximity to the motorway network means that there is considerable pressure for further housing development, particularly in the middle to upper market sectors. The area is, however, surrounded by Green Belt and high quality agricultural land, limiting the scope for further building. Formby Village located on the Northern Corridor transport route between Liverpool and Southport has expanded significantly over the last twenty-five years. It is a commuter settlement characterised by a relatively prosperous and mobile population of approximately 25,000. There is considerable interest in new housing development in the village particularly for upper market housing. The area is surrounded by Green Belt, and the adjacent dune coast is a unique habitat protected by international, national and local designations. An award-winning management scheme for the Sefton Coast is centred on Formby, which as well as conserving habitats has opened up important 'gateways' to the informal recreation opportunities provided by the coast. In the north of the Borough is the seaside resort of Southport with its Pier, Promenade and attractive shopping boulevard of Lord Street. Most of the central and seafront areas are included within Conservation Areas, reflecting the Regency and Victorian heritage which gives the town its unique quality. However, a gradual deterioration in the quality of many of its public spaces and its leisure area, together with problems of traffic congestion and the need to adapt to changes in the tourism market, have prompted a number of regeneration initiatives. During the past decade the Seafront Area has benefited from refurbishment of the Gardens adjacent to the Marine Lake and of the Floral Hall Theatre and Conference Centre. A new seawall and promenade has contributed to environmental enhancement and has been awarded a Civic Trust Commendation. The Pier has been refurbished with the aid of European and Heritage Lottery monies, and a major leisure and tourism development is under construction at a key seafront site. The Southport Central Partnership has recently completed a comprehensive 4-year regeneration programme, mainly funded through the Government's Single Regeneration Budget (SRB). A new Southport Partnership has been established to drive the implementation of the Southport Seafront Action Plan. This will deliver a series of regeneration initiatives over a 6-year period through the European Objective 1 Programme. In the Town Centre, the prize-winning enhancement of one of the key public spaces along Lord Street boulevard was completed in 1998, funded mainly by European and Heritage Lottery grants. A Townscape Heritage Initiative bid has recently been made to the Heritage Lottery Fund to regenerate of the area between the town centre and the seafront and to support tourism related activities. Southport has a number of small manufacturing companies, some of which conflict with surrounding residential areas. A major site has been reclaimed at the eastern approach to the town for development as a Commerce Park to attract a range of new and expanding businesses. A transportation strategy is getting to grips with key issues of access to and within the town. Innovations include alternative-fuelled buses supported by European THERMIE funding, and an eco-friendly Information Centre which is proposed for the major Seafront Park and Ride site.
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