The Cove Resort is making another huge splash after the team behind the exciting project today announced they have signed an exclusivity agreement for land on Southport Esplanade.

Situated between Victoria Park and the beach, the land was the very first site The Cove Resort’s co-founders Tony Howard and Tamlyn Stone wanted for their incredible £75m leisure and hospitality project, but was initially unavailable.

“We’re thrilled with this agreement and what this now means for progressing the project in Southport,” said Tony as he announced the exciting update.

“Even before we made our proposals for The Cove public, the Esplanade site was always number one on our list. It is quite exceptional to have such a stunning natural backdrop and yet be only minutes from the town centre by foot.”

Prior to signing the exclusivity agreement for the Esplanade site, The Cove Resort project was proposed for land nearby on Princes Park.

Tony continued: “the Esplanade site provides a wonderful opportunity to create something very special for the town and coastline, offering a unique resort which may visually respond to its coastal setting and the uninterrupted views in nearly all directions.

“The Cove Resort is an exciting £75m leisure and hospitality project, bringing a high-quality visitor attraction to the town focussing on health and wellbeing, where multiple leisure activities including surfing, and an extensive thermal spa will form part of the offering.

“With this we are creating a large 4-star hotel on site which will complement the resort’s leisure offer whilst reaffirming Southport as one of the UK’s most attractive resorts.

“The Cove Resort is very much wedded to the aspirations of Southport’s Town Deal strategy for improving the visitor and customer experience, whilst also enhancing the town as a place for ‘living well’.”

Southport’s Town Deal strategy includes a £73m investment in the new Marine Lake Events Centre and other improvements within the town.

Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regulation and Compliance said: “We are pleased that the Cove project is progressing well, and it shows huge support for the delivery of the council’s regeneration projects in Southport.

“We have worked alongside the team behind the Cove project to identify sites which would best benefit the project and they were keen to explore the possibility of bringing their vision to the Esplanade.

“Many people will remember that in 1989 Southport’s much-loved open-air swimming bath closed its doors to the public for the very last time.

“This project will, in many ways, bring back a viable facility with all year-round broad visitor appeal, and strike a complimentary balance between the memory of this well-loved former attraction and a new, modern, family-oriented offer that will be completely unique to the region.”

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, added: “The aim of a project such as the Marine Lake Events Centre was always to bring hundreds of thousands of new visitors each year to the town, including from outside the Liverpool City Region, all year round, staying for longer in our beautiful borough.

"Although we already have a fantastic and distinctive visitor offer, we want more reasons to visit, and our regeneration programme is also intended to stimulate investment in adjacent assets and opportunities.

“We have seen a great deal of investment in Southport in recent years, despite continued economic pressures, and we are delighted to see projects such as MLEC acting as the catalyst for significant private sector investment and development.”

Tamlyn Stone, co-founder of The Cove Resort, praised the work already underway by Sefton Council in delivering the Southport Town Deal.

He said: “There are particularly strong links with Southport’s soon-to-be Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC), where The Cove’s activities and quality hotel will be hugely complementary to MLEC and other businesses in the town. The resort will increase visitor numbers consistently throughout the year and provide 207 jobs once open.

“With its focus on health and wellbeing, the resort seeks to reinstate Southport’s proud historical identity for ‘hydropathy’. “We’re looking forward to advancing The Cove Resort and bringing more exciting updates for you all very soon.”