A year after the original main contractor pulled out Sefton Council announces new construction partner for the £73m Marine Lake Events Centre. Tony McDonough reports
Construction work on the delayed £73m Marine Lake Events Centre in Southport could begin in 2026 after Sefton Council announced a new main contractor.
Original contractor Kier pulled out in January 2025. There was a further setback in the autumn when the next company lined up to deliver the project – GRAHAM – also pulled out after failing to agree a price.
Now the council hopes it will be third time lucky as it agrees a pre-construction services agreement with VINCI Building. The company is already the main contractor on the £100m transformation of St Helen’s town centre.
It will now partner with the Sefton Council’s delivery team to finalise plans and ensure that main construction works begin on site later in 2026, once a main contract is signed.
Once open it is predicted the MLEC will see the creation of 290 jobs and a facility that will bring an extra 500,000 people to Southport every year. It will comprise a 1,200-seat theatre and 2,400-capacity conference space.
Funding is coming from a number of 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 just under £20m so far and may have to provide extra funding to bridge the gap between the current budget and the cost demanded by the new contractor.
Council leader Marion Atkinson said: “Having already collaborated with VINCI Building in the pre-construction phase, we know they share our vision and commitment to deliver this complex and ambitious scheme successfully.
“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.”
Early works have already been completed. The have included reduced-level excavations, extensive sheet piling along the lakefront and the construction of new retaining walls.
Demolition of the former Southport Theatre and Convention Centre preceded these works, with vital historical and cultural artefacts being preserved in the process.
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Gary Hughes, regional director for VINCI, added: “This is an incredibly exciting project for VINCI Building, and we are delighted to be appointed as preferred contractor.
“It gives our delivery team great opportunities to collaborate even more closely with local businesses and the Sefton community in delivering this flagship development.”