Lessons to be learned over Southport Air Show hitches, councillor says

The Red Arrows had to cancel their main show

Lessons "need to be learned" after problems at an air show, including long queues and issues with access, an opposition councillor has said.

Southport Air Show's woes also included cancelling the Red Arrows due to poor weather and problems on the beach.

Liberal Democrat group leader John Pugh is calling for a "proper report".

Sefton Council said there had been a "huge influx" of visitors on Saturday which would usually be spread over two days.

This was due to the "fantastic weather", which was followed by a forecast of storms on Sunday, it said.

Mr Pugh spoke of difficulties on the beach, issues with access and the programme of events beset with problems and long queues reported by visitors to the show, which receives a £400k investment from the council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

In previous years, sales of tickets for the event have recouped much of this cost, with ticket sales in 2022 totalling £360k.

The show was an "important part of the calendar in a town where staging events well is crucial for our prosperity and profile", Mr Pugh said.

"Running big events with the British weather has always been a high-risk, immensely stressful affair, but I think in Southport we want to be the best in the business.

"That's why when things don't go quite to plan we all need to understand why."

The issue would be raised at full council on Thursday, he added.

In previous years tickets have helped the council recoup its outlay

Mr Pugh added: "It's never a question of apportioning blame or credit. It's a question of getting feedback, greater understanding and the right lessons learnt."

A Sefton Council spokesman said it was "unfortunate" some people had experienced queues.

He said the ground team "did the best they could" to get people parked and into the event "as quickly and smoothly as possible".

The council shared visitors' disappointment that the Red Arrows were unable to deliver their display due to weather conditions but they did manage a fly-past later, he added.

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