Work on the new Marine Lake Events Centre in Southport is progressing at ‘impressive pace’ says Sefton Council but with the cost ballooning above £100m does it still represent value for money? Tony McDonough reports
Like so many major infrastructure projects in the UK, Southport’s Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) has seen the costs of construction soar since the project started.
In the last few days, Sefton Council has said the development is progressing at “promising pace” with recent major civil engineering works already being completed ahead of schedule, and the main construction contract now starting.
Funded entirely by the taxpayer, with a mixture of regional, local and Government cash, MLEC was originally set to cost £73m. Earlier this year Sefton Council revealed this figure had now ballooned to £106m.
And with the facility, replacing the former convention centre in the town, not due to open until 2029 that figure could rise further with the question already being asked by opposition politicians in Sefton, ‘does this still represent value for money?’.
Funding has come from a number of public sources. £33m of the £37.5m Town Deal funding for Southport is earmarked for the project. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has approved £17.7m adding to £2.3m the CA had already committed to pre-development.
Sefton Council has also borrowed around £20m and will have to provide extra funding to bridge the gap between the previous budget and the new one. This will likely saddle local Council Tax payers with millions of pounds in extra repayment costs over the coming decades.
MLEC has already been dogged by delays. Original contractor Kier pulled out in January 2025. In autumn 2025 the next company lined up to deliver the project – GRAHAM – also pulled out after failing to agree a price. It eventually secured an agreement with VINCI Building in January.
The council says costs for the landmark scheme have increased outside of its control but insists “extensive work” has been carried out to manage costs surrounding the scheme without reducing the quality of its promised offer or the scale of its economic impact.
And, if the projections are to be taken at face value, MLEC will offer a significant economic boost to Southport.
Offering a theatre as well as exhibition and conference facilities, the MLEC is expected to bring more than 600,000 extra visitors to the town each year and will include a spectacular light show on the water.
Almost 400 jobs will be created once the centre is up and running and forecasts suggest it will add £30m to the Southport economy each year.
Sefton Council leader Marion Atkinson said: “The brand new venue will create new jobs, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, and provide a world-class events venue for our borough and Liverpool city region.
“We remain fully committed to seeing this project through and securing the long-term economic and cultural benefits it will bring for all of us.”
In an update in the last few days Sefton Council said contractor Dowhigh had put the finishing touches on a vital access ramp from the Upper Promenade down to the MLEC site.
This ramp compliments excavations, extensive sheet piling along the lakefront and the construction of new retaining walls which have all been completed in recent months.
Now VINCI Building will take over the site to begin the actual construction of the centre. Commitments from the firm include the provision of careers talks, work experience, support into work assistance, apprenticeships, donations to local community projects and local supply chain spend.
It has already completed 15% of the pledged career talks, 16% of its support into work assistance and nearly 10% of its local community project donations. The remainder of Vinci’s social value pledges will be attained throughout the duration of the project.
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Cllr Atkinson added: “It is brilliant to see our ambition being delivered. Firstly I want to thank Dowhigh for their work to create the access ramp ahead of schedule.
“We are grateful that not only has it been delivered ahead of schedule but also created to an incredibly high standard with as little disruption as possible to residents and nearby businesses.
“Now VINCI Building is in a great position to take control of the site and start the main building construction phase.
“Having already collaborated with VINCI Building in the pre-construction phase, we know they share our vision and commitment to deliver this complex scheme successfully.”