Southport MP Damien Moore says he is looking forward to seeing “shovels in the ground on the Promenade” when the construction of the £73 million new Marine Lake Events Centre in Southport begins in 2023.
Earlier this month the Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities approved the Business Case for the spectacular new venue, which will be built on the site of the former Southport Theatre and Events Centre which closed in March 2020.
The scheme also includes a £3.3 million water and light show on the Marine Lake.
The ambitious project is projected to attract 515,000 visitors to Southport every year, bringing huge benefits for Southport shops, hotels, restaurants, bars, taxi firms and other local businesses with an annual £18 million boost to the local economy.
The Marine Lake Events is being significantly funded by the £33.3 million through the Government’s Town Deal scheme, with an additional £20 million by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and nearly £20 million in prudential borrowing by Sefton Council.
Damien Moore MP, Member of Parliament for Southport, said:
“I am delighted that the Government has given the green-light to the Marine Lake Events Centre.
“This transformational project would not have been possible were it not for Southport’s £38.5 million Town Deal, which was awarded following a fantastic effort by my fellow Town Deal Board members.
“I’m looking forward to seeing shovels in the ground on the Promenade, and seeing the new Events Centre take shape!”
In approving the Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC) business case, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) congratulated Sefton Council and the Southport Town Deal team on ‘an ambitious project for the benefit’ of Southport and the Liverpool City Region.
Approval of the business case, which formally releases the previously announced Town Deal funding for the project, was one of the next major milestones for the MLEC project, with another being the pending approval of planning permissions.
Sefton Council has already commenced a series of preparatory works to ensure the project can get underway swiftly, including identifying ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management company and producer of live experiences as the site’s preferred operating partner.
The Marine Lake Events Centre will provide Southport with a high-quality entertainment and business events venue.
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