Photo: Peaky Blinders, Lord Street
Southport town centre bucks the national nightlife trend
The pints are still pouring freely in Southport, say the Southport BID despite a nationwide freefall in the number of bars and pubs we see on the street.
It is a fact worth raising a glass too, they say, that Southport sees such a promising and resilient surge in the number of bars and clubs we have on offer – and it is not something we should dismiss lightly.
A national data released recently that showed between 2011 and 2016 the number of town centre bars, clubs, and night clubs fell by about 2000 across England, Scotland, and Wales. Correspondingly the number of cafes, fast food outlets and restaurants have risen by 6,000. Despite this the great British pub still remains the most popular town centre leisure venue in the UK.
And none more so than in Southport where our pubs are a vital part of the town’s nightlife.
A spokesperson for the BID told OTS News: “Southport, like most town centres, has seen a drop in night time customers. Even so there is still a confidence in the town that’s worth celebrating. The town has a diverse and growing range of evening venues including traditional pubs, unique restaurants, theatres, multi-plex cinema (and a new community venue on the way), night clubs and other live music venues, to suit all pockets and tastes.
“This variety can only help in encouraging people to come into town to enjoy the night life and have a great time. And, in doing so, inject money into our local economy because there’s plenty of evidence to show that a vibrant evening and nightlife is one of the most powerful economic factors that a town has.
“Making Southport at night more diverse and more attractive will encourage more people to visit. They’ll also visit if they believe the town to be a safe place to be at night. The re-introduction of taxi marshals over Christmas and New Year, funded by the BID, helped provide that extra peace of mind for revellers looking to return home by taxi after a night out in the town.
“They’ve been well-received and their use will now be extended to include a number of key weekends this year. The BID is also rolling out the use of body-worn cameras for club and bar door staff and expanding the number of venues linked to the town’s radio link.
“Southport’s Pubwatch was relaunched last year. The scheme is driven by the pubs, clubs and bars themselves with ongoing active support from the BID and the police. Pubwatch continues to grow with licensees and owners committed to working together to ensure their customers enjoy a safe night out.
“Making Southport feel safer, more diverse, and more attractive at night will help to create a more sociable town centre for the benefit of everyone.”
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