Leonard Design are very proud to announce our involvement for the proposed £75M ‘leisure beach and thermal spa’ in Southport, UK. The attraction looks to create hundreds of jobs and to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
The Cove Resort was first unveiled in late 2020, located next to the former open-air sea bathing lake that closed in 1989. The resort will include attractions for all ages such as swimming, surfing in a ‘world class’ lagoon, fitness facilities and a variety of leisure activities and events. Furthermore, the development will house a luxury four-star hotel.
Lead by co-founders Tony Howard and Tamlyn Stone, the new resort will bring “health and wellbeing coupled with active fun, all year round”.
Leonard Design are working alongside construction consultants WWA and wave providers Whitewater West. A ‘pre-application’ proposal has been submitted to Sefton Council and work continues. Upon agreeing final terms with Sefton, a detailed planning application will be developed.
Co-founder Tony has a history with the area which he is happy to add to: “My grandmother was present at the grand opening of the sea bathing lake in 1928. As a child I would hear her stories, clearly it was a time of glamour, sophistication, and liberation.
“Having lived away for a number of years, I returned to my hometown in March 2020, looking upon the waterfront and town with fresh eyes. To have so much heritage from a town’s glorious past still intact is remarkable, many other historic seaside towns look longingly on what remains in Southport.
“The waterfront has so much potential, but I believe it requires ambitious, modern-day attractions and experiences to appeal to a broader audience from all parts of the UK and perhaps beyond.”
“Our concept aligns with the town’s heritage, but it is reimagined in a very modern way. In 2019 the town attracted an impressive 9m visitors, of which most were day-trippers. More reasons to stay for longer are needed, and The Cove can help drive that.”
With the planning process now underway, Southport’s new leisure resort is planned to open as early as 2025.
