New £75m Cove Resort confirmed for Southport - with 'Endless Surf' lagoon and thermal spa

A location has been confirmed for a £75m surfing resort and leisure beach in Merseyside. Described by its founders as 'world-class', The Cove Resort project will feature a leisure beach, endless surf, thermal spa and 4-star hotel on Southport's waterfront.

Previously planned for nearby Princes Park, co-founders of the project, Tony Howard and Tamlyn Stone, have now signed an exclusivity agreement for land on Southport Esplanade.

“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.”

Tony says the site "provides a wonderful opportunity" for the town and offers a "unique resort" with "uninterrupted" coastline views. He adds that the project will reaffirm Southport as "one of the UK's most attractive resorts" and is "very much wedded to the aspirations of Southport’s Town Deal strategy."

Plans for The Cove were first revealed in 2020 and invoked fond memories of the town’s former open-air sea baths that closed in 1989. The new resort will include an 'Endless Surf' lagoon as part of its leisure beach concept as well as other leisure activities, and aims to bring 'active fun' to Southport.

Tony believes The Cove will complement the ongoing £73m Marine Lake Events Centre project and describes Southport as the 'North West's coastal playground'.

207 jobs are set to be created once the resort opens Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regulation and Compliance says it will offer a "unique" and "family-oriented" attraction the region.