Southport BID is backing local businesses in their calls for urgent improvements to be made to the historic Cambridge Arcade in Southport.
Recent visits by the BID have revealed a range of issues of concern for hard-working local traders. They include holes and cracks in the arcade canopy; dead pigeons in the netting; and uneven paving which has led to shoppers suffering nasty falls.
A decade ago, Cambridge Arcade and Cambridge Walks were beset with empty units.
But the Victorian Grade II Listed landmark has recently enjoyed a real renaissance, with some top quality new businesses including Megafauna and Naked Peak and innovative new social enterprises such as The Jukebox Joint and Area 51 joining popular established local and national businesses such as Hungry Monk, Tap & Bottles, The Entertainer, Clinton’s Cards, Osiris Antiques, Cranberry’s Coffee Shop and more.
They have fostered a real community spirit, working together to do all they can to create attractive outside seating areas, planters, flowers and other measures to do all they can to make the area look more attractive to shoppers and diners.
In the past few years Sefton Council has invested heavily in sites on either side of the arcade, leading the £20million transformation of The Atkinson cultural centre on Lord Street and the £4million pedestrianisation of Chapel Street.
The £38.5million Town Deal funding for Southport will see £1.5million spent on a new Enterprise Arcade on Eastbank Street, next door to and above the arcade, while £1.4million has been used for the transformation of the new look Southport Market nearby.
But Cambridge Arcade and Cambridge Walks have consistently missed out on funding – and it shows.
Now traders are asking for urgent support for improvements to be made.
Southport BID CEO Rachel Fitzgerald said: “The arcade is full of local retailers, hospitality businesses and others who are doing all they can to create a thriving area and attract people into the town centre.
“But while millions of pounds has been spent in nearby areas, the arcade has been left behind.
“Business owners there have told us of their concerns over safety issues such as holes and cracks in the canopy, issues with pigeons, and several reports of shoppers tripping over uneven paving.
“There is an urgent need for improvements for safety reasons as well as for aesthetic upgrades to make Cambridge Arcade and Cambridge Walks a safe and attractive place for visitors to come and shop and dine.”
John Savage, who runs units including M.I.H. Bazaar and The Jukebox Joint, is among traders calling for change.
When he met Southport BID to discuss the issues, they encountered two visitors who had travelled by coach from Portsmouth for a holiday in Southport.
Their first encounter with the town was seeing Cambridge Arcade, which they thought looked attractive from the outside – but once they stepped inside and saw its condition, they said: “It really burst our balloon of what we thought Southport was like.”
John Savage told Southport BID: “It just shows how important the arcade is to present a positive image of Southport to visitors.
“Thousands of people come to our town for a day out; day trippers, commuters, people coming here to shop. They get off the train at Southport Railway Station, and walk through Cambridge Arcade on their way to Lord Street or to the seafront and see the acade and see the poor state it’s in. It doesn’t give a very good impression.
“The canopy above the arcade is full of holes and cracks. As soon as it rains, the water just pours through. It may be helped by something as simple as clearing the gutters up there.
“There are mounds of rubbish along the side of the former BHS building. They have just fenced it off. Why don’t they just clean it?
“Pigeons are another problem. The council spent a week here putting nets up to try and keep them out. A few days later, the birds were back in again, and now you see loads of them behind the netting. There are dead ones in there too. The netting has been completely ineffective. “There is bird muck all over the floor which needs cleaning up. The business owners here have to clean it off their canopies all the time.
“There are three top quality hospitality businesses in here. They deserve better.
“The paving stones are uneven and broken. Several people have tripped and fallen over them in recent weeks. The traders here have rushed out to help them. They need fixing urgently.
“Local businesses have invested a lot of time and a lot of money in trying their best to make the arcade look good. They need support.
“If the arcade was enclosed, with doors at either end similar to Wayfarers Arcade, that would help to solve half of the problems we have.”
Aaron Mark Floral Design is among businesses which have been in the arcade for a number of years. Chrissy McManus said: “One of the biggest problems in the arcade is all the pigeons. It is a constant problem clearing up their mess.
“I have been here for 12 years, and in that time the arcade has just been very neglected. We would love to see work take place to improve it.
“It is a beautiful, historic arcade. But it really needs to be freshened up.
“We are all trying really hard to stay positive. It is a real community in here.”
Another business owner, who did not wish to be named, said: “Cambridge Arcade is the most popular walk through between Chapel Street and Southport Railway Station and Lord Street. We really need work to be done to make it look better than this. We need to bring some pride back.
“The units in here are mostly occupied now, there have been so many positive things happening, But we just need support to improve the look of the arcade.
“It is so disappointing to see the arcade looking like this. It wouldn’t cost that much to make the improvements needed.
“A total of £38.5million has just been made available to Southport through the Town Deal. How much of that money would it cost to fix up this arcade? They make quite an income from here. We all pay our Business Rates, and our taxes. All we are asking is for some support in return.”
Sara Dawbarn is the co-owner of The Hungry Monk, Face Value Cosmetics and Jaspers Gifts in Cambridge Arcade.
She took pictures from when part of the arcade canopy fell through, which fortunately didn’t hit anyone walking below.
She has also helped people who have tripped and fell over the uneven flagstones.
Sara said: “A few days ago, a lady fell over on the paving and smashed her face. She was quite badly hurt.
“The main problems here are the poor state of the floor, and all the pigeons.
“When they put the netting up, it took just two days before the birds all got in behind it again.
“A couple of weeks ago one of the panels in the canopy came down and fell into the arcade. Luckily it didn’t hit anyone, but it was very worrying. It is dangerous.
“It is all very frustrating.”
