A public consultation on plans for a new 1,200-seater events space and light show attraction on Southport’s Marine Lake will begin this week. Tony McDonough reports
Sefton Council will this week begin a public consultation on multi-million pound plans for the Southport Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) and accompanying water and light show.
As part of a £400m plan to transform Southport, in 2020 Sefton Council unveiled plans for Marine Lake Events Centre, a 1,200-seater events space to replace the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre which was forced to close due to the pandemic.
The auditorium will also be suitable for large conferences, supported by fully flexible and sub-divisible spaces, a 15,000 sq ft exhibition space capable of accommodating more than 3,000 people for major e-sports events. Also in the plans is a water and light show attraction.
In February the scheme took a big step forward when the council appointed a project team of experts. It includes AFL Architects, venue and entertainment consultancy IPW, property consultancy Gardiner & Theobald and global infrastructure consultancy AECOM.
Consultation events are being held at Southport Market in the coming weeks and a live webinar will take place to provide more information on the plans, which will be revealed when the consultation begins on Thursday, May 26.
From this date feedback will be invited via an online survey which you can take part in by clicking here. The public consultation runs until June 10.
The MLEC will provide a theatre space, a conference and exhibition centre able to accommodate a range of events, and café and signature restaurant, providing facilities for both visitors and the community.
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The project forms part of the Southport Town Deal which secured £37.7m funding in 2021 and follows the success of Southport Market, which opened its doors last year. The project has also secured £2.3m funding from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Consultation events are being held at Southport Market on Friday, May 27, between 11am and 6pm, and Saturday, May 28, between 11am and 3pm.
A live webinar will also be held at 6pm on Thursday 26th May. You can register to attend the webinar in advance by clicking here. The consultation webpage will be updated on May 26 with further details of the plans and an online feedback form.
Cllr Ian Maher , leader of Sefton Council, said: “The Marine Lake Events Centre is the latest fantastic opportunity for us to build on our successful bid for Town Deal funding. This project directly compliments the ongoing and continued investment Sefton Council makes toward improving the future of the town for our amazing communities and visitors.
“I would encourage everyone to join in with the upcoming consultation events, either online or in person, to find out more. We are looking forward to hearing feedback before a planning application is submitted.”
A public telephone line has also been set up via 0808 168 8296. This is a freephone consultation hotline where people can call to speak to a member of the project team and ask any questions, as well as share any feedback.