New Brighton's Marine Lake has long been a cherished spot for locals and visitors alike. From early morning swims to paddle boarding sessions, the lake offers a unique outdoor experience that invigorates both body and soul. In recent years, this stretch of water has become a quiet revolution—the heart of a growing outdoor swimming culture that brings health, happiness and hope to the Wirral coast.

This is a long read, so buckle in. -✍️ Author’s Note New Brighton has already done the hard part. It found its voice. It picked up a...

A Kafkaesque paper trail, a mysterious missing voting portal, and a civic system that makes democracy look like amateur dramatics with better biscuits.

In Side-Lined by the Sea, I laid bare the ways New Brighton has been persistently overlooked in Wirral’s regeneration priorities. Despite our creative energy, visitor pull, and historical significance, we remain an afterthought in key masterplans, while dubious vanity schemes elsewhere soak up public attention and funding.

I fully expect some backlash. Some will claim I’ve got things wrong. Others will say I’m stirring the pot. That’s fine. Criticism is part of the process. But here’s the thing: this isn’t about politics. It’s not about individuals. It’s not about scoring points. It’s about trying to shine a light on how decisions are made in a system that’s broken—or at the very least, buckling.

New Brighton’s history is one of grand visions, broken promises, and grassroots reinvention. Once home to Europe’s largest outdoor lido and a magnet for day-trippers crossing the Mersey, it thrived with arcades, theatres, and the iconic Tower Grounds. But by the 1990s, the great lido was gone—demolished after years of underinvestment and neglect. One by one, its major attractions disappeared.

In the last five years, few words have appeared more often in Wirral Council's public communications than “regeneration.” And few places have been promised more transformation than Birkenhead.

When I tried to look up how my local councillors voted on key decisions, I was met with silence. Wirral Council's own "How Councillors Voted" tool returned nothing. Not a single vote recorded from any councillor between 2010 and 2025.