A huge £40m surf resort and water park is coming to Southport

A brand new beach and surf resort is being planned for Southport, under a deal between Sefton Council and Go Surf.

The 250-metre Southport Cove Resort development will include hotel accommodation, restaurants and a spa, with the council entering into an exclusivity agreement with Go Surf.

According to Place North West, it will be an all-year-round attraction centred around a surf wave pool and a large beach on the town’s seafront.

Go Surf / Sefton Council

It’s set to be developed on council-owned land next to the former Southport Bathing Lake, which shut down in the 1980s, and the £40m scheme would include ‘water-based’ wellness and spa facilities, a four-star hotel, a range of cafes and restaurants and indoor leisure facilities.

On top of that, there’ll also be gardens and a 360-degree boardwalk, from which visitors will be able to explore the attraction and watch surfers.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and skills, said: “Many people will remember that in 1989 the much-loved open-air swimming bath on the seafront next to Princes Park closed its doors to the public for the last time.

“When we were doing the consultation around the Southport Town Deal, it was clear that many people still had memories of the lido.

“This project will, in many ways, bring back a viable facility with all-year-round visitor appeal, and strike a balance between the memory of this loved former attraction and a modern, family-oriented offer that will be unique to the region.”

Go Surf / Sefton Council

Go Surf added: “Southport’s location and existing facilities lend themselves perfectly to the town becoming a true haven for watersports, indoor and outdoor attractions, and wellness. The town benefits greatly from the successful integration of its town centre, marine lake and seafront.

“We’re taking a world-class surf pool and building a resort around it that’s far more than a place for catching waves.

“Our aim is to create an environment where people meet with friends and family, to lounge on the beach or in the gardens, catch some waves, relax in the spa, or just grab a coffee and a bite to eat.”

Southport Cove Resort is currently in the pre-planning stage, with Sefton Council intending to launch a public consultation before a planning application is submitted.