Southport Councillors raise questions over the future of the White House Café

Liberal Democrat Councillors in Cambridge Ward have been raising questions over the future of the White House Café after its sudden closure for renovations this summer.

The site was redeveloped and taken over by Sefton Hospitality Operations Limited (SHOL), which Sefton Council describes as an ‘arms-length’ company, in May 2023 after the site had sat empty for a number of years.

In July this year, little more than a year after opening, it closed again for ‘essential maintenance works in the kitchen’, originally for a just a few weeks. However, the restaurant has never fully returned to operation, recently re-opening for a limited offer with no hot food.

At the latest meeting of Sefton Council on September 12th 2024, Cllr Mike Sammon asked a question about the future of the site and when it would be returning to a full menu. In answer to his question, the Sefton Council Cabinet member stated, “The strategy (including any menu changes) for the future of the venue is under review and will be communicated to customers in due course”.

Councillor Mike Sammon said; “It is deeply concerning that after little more than a year, the future of the White House is ‘under review’ once more. Sefton’s Hospitality company are keeping quiet on the future of the site, and residents are rightly getting worried. The lack of communication with residents and customers is worrying many. Whilst empty, the White House became an eyesore and an embarrassment for the town and none of us want to see it return to that state.”

Fellow ward Councillor Leo Evans says, “I first met with Sefton Council officers about the White House five years ago whilst it was sitting empty. At that point, officers were talking about its future as a focal point and part of an offer with the Municipal Golf Course. A few years later, all plans of an external partner taking over the café were shelved and SHOL had taken over, and in just over a year the site is closed once again. Something has clearly been going wrong, and if Sefton aren’t careful, they risk turning the White House into yet another white elephant in this town.”