A major new agreement will see huge investments and improvements made to one of Merseyside's most iconic seafront resorts.
Pleasureland owner Norman Wallis is set to invest massive sums into his Southport theme park, and on a number of sites across the promenade, after Sefton Council granted him a longer term lease.
Documents on the local authority website said a lease of 50 years has been granted with the option for the landlord to extend it to a further 50 years.
The council said the long-term lease enables the owners of the family amusement park to invest in new facilities.
The report states: "This and other leases for adjacent sites will facilitate sizeable investment by the lessee across Southport seafront that are either presently unused or requiring transformation.
"The Southport Pleasureland site offers substantial opportunity for investment, and the secured lease will support continued discussions regarding that opportunity.
"The lease will lead to investment in new year-round attractions that will strengthen the town’s tourism offer and support an increase from dwell time to stay length by visitors."
Businessman and tourism entrepreneur Mr Wallis took over the fairground in 2007 when, in his own words, it was a "blackened and burned out husk."
He transformed the family amusement park and it has since gone from strength to strength.
Among Pleasureland's most recent acquisitions is the Lakeside Miniature Railway, the oldest constantly running 15-inch gauge railway in the world.
Plans for major new investment in the resort were first revealed back in April and Sefton Council said the new leases will 'facilitate sizeable investment', resulting in the transformation of the seafront and an extra £25m cash boost.
Over the next two years, a Dinosaur Park will start to take shape on what used to be the pitch and putt site.
This will feature animatronic dinosaurs and full-scale models.
This, the council says, will strengthen the town’s tourism offer and could lead to an increased visitor footfall.
As well as this, the miniature railway and land train will also both be invested in, to improve connectivity between Southport town centre and this area of the waterfront.
Mr Wallis' plans tie in with the regeneration of the seaside resort as a whole.
Back in April, Cllr Marion Atkinson, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: "Our investment into Southport is ongoing.
"We continue to financially support the Atkinson, Southport Theatre and its conference centre and Southport Market ; and there's lots more in the pipeline."
The council also works closely with investors, and events such as The Southport Flower Show, The Food and Drink Festival; and says it is keen to build on the town's conference offering.
Cllr Atkinson continued: "We have an excellent space for conferences and a wealth of attractions for the delegates who attend them, should they have any free time including some fabulous bars and restaurants and lots of independent retailers - not to mention our wonderful coastline."
In February 2019, the council approved a further £200,000 of funding to submit a second round application for Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) for a major project in the town centre.
With contributions from Sefton Council and property owners this grant could be worth up to £2.36m.
