More than 80% of the 46 jobs so far created by the new Lake House venue in Waterloo went to Sefton residents, a new report reveals. Tony McDonough reports

Since it opened in August the Lake House leisure venue in Waterloo has seen the creation of 46 new jobs – 83% going to Sefton residents.

Lake House is run by Sefton Hospitality Operations Limited (SHOL), wholly owned by Sefton Council. SHOL also runs Southport Market, a £1.4m facility that opened in summer 2021.

Sitting next to Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre, The Lake House is home to a café and restaurant The Lake Kitchen, led by head chef Matt Cox. It also has 14 refurbished rooms as part of its accommodation offering. It has four conference and event spaces.

After a troubled development process that saw Sefton Council terminate its contract with the original contractor, The Lake House finally opened in August. In September LBN reported the venue had already secured bookings as far ahead as 2024.

At a meeting on December 1, Sefton Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve a new strategy and three-year business plan for SHOL. It follows on from a previous business plan presented to Cabinet in February 2022 and reflects the good start that The Lake House has made.

This is despite the challenges the wider hospitality sector faces at this time, including recovery from the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

However, Sefton Council, and the SHOL Board, remain committed to attracting staff by offering quality full-time, permanent employment opportunities. All roles pay a real living wage or above and offer career development opportunities.

This, says Sefton, is reflected in the low turnover of staff, at less than 15%, that is far lower than the present industry average.

Working with the Council’s Sefton@Work team this summer to host a recruitment day attended by 90 people, SHOL was able to recruit 40 new staff. Already 46 new jobs have been created, 83% of whom are Sefton residents.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: “The council is delighted with the quality of The Lake House – not just in terms of the food, drink and accommodation but also with the quality of customer experience being offered by a passionate and dedicated team.

“The pandemic hit the hospitality sector hard, with many businesses struggling to survive, and to retain their staff. So of course, I’m thrilled to see that our staff turnover is low.

“SHOL is going from strength to strength and has so much more to offer, both for its customers and the local community. This is demonstrated by the range of exciting events and opportunities in the pipeline for Christmas, and for 2023”