News has reached us this morning that an American businessman has had a bid of £32million accepted for the Marine Lake
Sefton Council has been looking to redevelop the Marine Lake area of Southport for many years. They believe the borough would be better served if the land between the Promenade and the coast road were freed for house building and retail space. In January a sealed envelope bidding process was initiated, which we now know has been won by the American, Cliff Barnes.
Barnes made the bulk of his money in the oil business during the 1980’s, but also has a large ranch with several thousand head of cattle. Apparently, Barnes’ ranch is in Texas, a dry, dusty state, where water is hard to come by. So the lake will provide a much needed watering place for his herd. We understand that the lake’s islands will also provide much needed grazing areas.
First the lake will be dredged for the rubbish that has built up in there over the years. The water will also be filtered to ensure it is safe for animal consumption. Work is set to commence on disassembling and transporting the lake itself this Autumn.
We are sure you will agree that the Marine Lake has been an integral part of Southport for many years and we will all be sad to see it go.
