Trying to decide between Lytham St Anne’s and Southport

[Maldives2006]

Hi, do to my husband’s work we need to relocate, my husband will be based in Warrington/Preston and I want to live by the seaside😃😃

We have a 10year old

And 7 year old. I was looking at either the Lytham area or Southport but we’ve never lived in this area and will also be returning from overseas. Therefore I would really appreciate any advice at all about either of those areas, thankyou

If you have the budget, Lytham is very des res and nicer than either LSA or southport. Gorgeous little town with fantastic bars and restaurants, plus lots of lovely independent shops.

Southport would be better for Warrington than Lytham.
Both are lovely, we were going to move to Ainsdale at one point. I would've loved to be able to walk to beach. We have moved nearer to Preston. Due to work locations, but go to Southport weekly, can't wait for summer time

I don't really know Southport but Lytham is nice. The demographic is slightly skewed by elderly people though. The high school isn't the best but not sure how that compares to Southport. Some very good primary schools though. The biggest drawback to Lytham is it's proximity to Blackpool but if you can avoid that (and your children going into Blackpool as they grow up) then that should be ok. It's also out on a limb, it's much further to get anywhere (Manchester / Liverpool or further afield) than Southport.

Southport is also out on a limb, hence we didn't move there.
I personally think that the beaches are slightly better eg Formby and Ainsdale. Both of which had good schools a few years ago when we looked.
However if you have a FY postcode you get half price for sandcastle. If you have a PR postcode which southport has, then I think you get discounts on pleasure Beach and other things.
Both have good things going for them and heaps for kids to do. Shopping is OK in southport, but main street has declined since my youth.

Lytham is beautiful however will be hard to get to Warrington. Southport does have some nice areas, the centre is nice and there’s Formby as well.
We live near Preston and DH travelled to Warrington and back and it was hard enough, lytham is much further away!

( Is he a Bobbie?)

The primary schools in Lytham, Andsell and St Annes are very good
For high school you only have the massive high school with 1500+ unless you are catholic and confined Bede's in Lytham or can afford the private KSA

Lytham has loads of lovely places to eat as well as a Booths supermarket. There is also another one just down the road in St Anne's
St Anne's is cheaper than Lytham but has a nicer beach
Lytham has the green where they have a music festival every year

My husband also works in Warrington.
Initially we Thought about formby/Southport but realised that the commute would be awful. We moved to Wirral instead which is fulla beaches and naice places and is only half an hour commute.

His colleagues who live on the other side of liverpool do struggle at times

Have you considered Formby they have two good secondary schools especially Formby High and it will be that time before you know it? You don’t get much house for your money though. We also considered Ainsdale and Birkdale as we also wanted to close close to the sea but the choice of Secondary schools in Ainsdale, Birkdale and Southport areas put us off and in the end we stayed put.

Lytham is lovely, commute would be awful though DP had to do Blackpool - Manchester for a few months and unless he left at bang on 4 it would take him over 2 hours to get home. Imagine Southport would be just as bad though

Hi thanks everyone, all the info is really helpful. I would really like to live as near the coast as possible. My husband will be the one doing the commute but thinking maybe Southport would be more realistic.

Do look into what Secondary Schools are are close in catchment. As in my experience you really want to get this right by being within catchment of a decent secondary. My DH would have been commuting to Bootle so would have been quite doable for us.